Like a Mirror in the Light
by Writer Awakened
Summary: Florina/Vaida. What does the sky really look like?
1. Part I

_Like a Mirror in the Light_

-

This tale, like many of its kind, begins with the wind at our heroes' back. The open road draws in travelers, the forest consumes them, the plains lead them on…but this tale begins and ends at the open sky. Above the great expanses of the land, dizzying heights. They say in the greatest moments of your existence, you can see life itself reflected in the skies.

-

"Who do we see when we look in the mirror? Ourselves."

-

She cleaved the clear sky on her mount, wind whistling through her ears and brushing by her body. It was a euphoric sensation. She spiraled downward and rent a man asunder.

"Gyaaaah…how boring. Isn't there anyone strong enough to test my mettle?"

The lance drove cleanly through the mounted warrior's chest. The woman swooped in, stabbed, dislodged her spear, and darted back up into the sky. If the poor victim remembered what had struck him as he lay dying, he would have only one gray blur at which to curse.

The woman flew upwards, and, spotting her next victim, dived in again. A cavalier tugging on the reigns of his beast looked up to see an opalescent flash of silver in the sun, then death. Another readied an arrow only to find a trundling beast from above blindside and topple him. The next drew a sword up into a lance, and felt earth buckle him as he fell from his horse. One drew an axe, saw a flash of hands, and-- a sword. A lance, a lance; another lance, another lance.

The smells of sweat and burning putrefaction made an amorous concoction for a warrior's heart.

Above, in the grace of the sky, a single rider on a single wyvern split the sky with a cackle, leaving a glut of bodies in her wake.

"Too easy! There's not a one of them that can defy my lance. Not a one! These flesh puppets weren't even born to fight- they were born to die."

She dived again, this time landing with her wyvern's two feet touching the ground. A swordsman drew a blade and struck, grazing the beast's side.

"Idiot!" the woman said, clenching her legs around her mount and gritting her teeth. Through the opening between his shield and the plates of his breastplate, the woman struck. She took off, and the swordsman staggered back. He wasn't dead, but the woman cackled contently at the thought of his inevitable bleeding to death.

"Withdrawing your shield…" she rasped as she shot back upwards. "You deserve a painful end!"

She dashed through the air. An army charged below and afar. Vaida circled the skies at a dizzying speed, squinting her eyes over the horizon. Just north, a spiraling spine of mountains, a large glut of forest, a rolling stream, and the lashings of some ruins. Below her she saw through clenched eyes death in the groves and on the open plains and in a single crumbling sanctuary; it knelt, mouth open, submissive at the mountain's feet.

In the distance, soldiers moved in on the lordlings' position, the cavalry charging in recklessly ahead. Flashes of incidental lightning, enveloping pockets of shade, and jets of flame struck off in the distance, with a blue-haired mage and his wife, a purple-haired recluse and a green-haired brat at the helm. Women on horses with staves and tomes beat them back before neatly becoming magic fodder. Up here, the Vaida noted, the air was free and clear. Down there, the hauntingly sweet smell of magic lingered.

There was one other flying the skies, also one of theirs. The wyvern woman flew north towards the other. Pitiful, the other one, she who was entirely incapable of fighting with any sense of passion or resolution. No, this other one was a stuttering, lilac-locked wimp: talented and swift in the skies, but utterly and undeniably devoid of the killer instinct.

"It's a wonder I'm even flying to help her," Vaida said, "when it doesn't even do me a swallow's ass or an ass's swallow of good."

-

"Calm down, calm down, calm down, Florina…"

Huey beat its wings against the azure sky. Florina pressed her legs against the pegasus's side as she dived down toward the ground. Far below, a bishop clenching a staff chanted, and streaks of light jetted from his person; Florina barreled downward, darted out of the way, and clenched her lance until she felt her palms begin to burn.

_Alright, Florina, _she thought, the rush of wind pinning her mouth shut and searing her eyes, _don't think about it. Don't worry. Do it for Lyn, do it for Sir Eliwood, for Sir Hector, for everyone…_

As Florina plunged the lance through the bishop's chest, pulled it out, closed her eyes, turned away, she mumbled a word of apology instinctively. She jutted upwards again, the horizon again became visible, and the single slumped speck of the man below her slid steadily out of focus.

Above, in the grace of the blue beyond, a single rider on a single pegasus split the sky in silence.

The armies moved out below. Florina circled north, where a group of enemy cavalry and knights engaged the good guys. Down there, the air was thick and heavy with the sounds of silver and iron clinking and clanking, and the smells of death and decay.

But up here the air is free, Florina noted as she soared downward again, her sword resting comfortably in her hand. Yes, the skies were empty save for the prideful wyvern rider, Vaida, circling the area to the south. There was nothing up here but empty blue void. It was indeed an empty feeling that pervaded the skies, up here where there was nothing but fleeting glimpses of the future and solitude. Up where it was empty, there was no shyness, no fear, no apologies, no regrets, no company, only sky, beautiful as it always was. There was no one up here needing saving, and so Florina inevitably arced downward again.

_I do hope Lady Vaida is all right…_

Florina rushed downward, her pegasus' head tucked low, wings cresting along the winds, its hooves pressing against the sky and propelling her forward. The ground rose quickly to meet her and her sword made contact with flesh.

-

"Where is that little fool girl now?" Vaida said as she searched the skies. "She was flying around her before. Don't tell me she already got herself killed? Pah!"

She flew north. Nothing on the horizon, nothing in the forests below showed signs of a rider on pegasus, only blue emptiness and the slow anticipation of a sunset. Below, at a distance, the armies still fought, leaving trails of bodies like trampled sugar ants in their wake. Vaida bristled at the thought there would be nothing left for her when she reached the battle, so she crouched low on her mount and drove it on faster.

"Yah, Umbriel! Ahead! I'll not miss them!"

From behind a range of mountains, the other rider emerged in a blaze of white. Florina saw Vaida even at the distance and converged on her position.

"Lady Vaida!" she squeaked as she flew beside the wyvern. Vaida stopped abruptly.

"There you are, little girl," Vaida said, grinning as she pulled beside Florina. She briefly sized her up, scanned her mount. "Hmph. At least you didn't go off and get yourself killed. You don't seem to be hurt much either. Aren't you as incompetent as I believed?"

"Ah, um…I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" Florina crossed her arms shyly. Clutched dearly in one hand was a small silver sword, blood dripping from the tip. A small lance was hooked on her petite belt parallel to her body. It was red as well.

"Stop your bumbling," Vaida snapped, urging Umbriel's roving head away from Huey's neck. "You're alive, aren't you? And the enemy is almost dead. Come, we've got to finish them." She forged ahead and her mount carried her on. Florina shook the last of the blood from her blade and followed.

"Watch this," Vaida said, parading a keen smile. "Here, the judgement of my lance."

Vaida flew for a minute, then arced downward into the fray. With Florina at her back, she dived low and cleaved several soldiers with her lance, giving them little opportunity to ready themselves for neither the beginning _nor_ the end. Florina cut several down herself, following her elder's harsh, vicious dive with a graceful curve towards the ground and a sweeping cut with a sword. Ahead was a single archer; before he could lift his bow and aim, Vaida swooped and rent him asunder.

As Florina cut up into the sky, Vaida made one last dive to attack a group of soldiers before following her upward into the blue infinite.

"That looks like the last of 'em!" Vaida cackled as she spiraled up through the crackling breeze, followed in short order by her wingmate. Blood trickled down their spears. "That should be enough. Come on, girl. Let's regroup."

Vaida shot downward and kicked back a deathly cold blast of air at Florina as her beast descended. She bit her lip and tried to ignore the violent revolution in her stomach as she followed.

-

Vaida flew beside Florina. They eased their beasts along at a gentle pace, suspended in the air above the roving caravan and the marching army below. A successful battle had passed, which meant both celebration and a decided lack of mourning for their fallen foes.

"Keep vigilant, girl," Vaida said presently, as a product of her instinct. She scanned the blue horizon and saw nothing. She snorted. "Even if nothing could touch me in the skies."

"Ah, Lady Vaida?" Florina said at once, maneuvering her pegasus closer. "Thank you for coming to my aid back there. I…I appreciate it!"

Vaida looked about and sniffed at the air gingerly. It was a relatively cold day today, wrought with the constant threat of illness and a slowly approaching evening.

"Thank you."

"Eh, don't thank me," Vaida said, elevating her mount and shouting to the woman below. "Thank yourself. You're the one that saved you."

They flew on, Florina still flying slightly behind, slightly below Vaida, accompanying the caravan as it crossed the open field, and they flew over the canopy of a grove as their companions passed through. Time became utterly unimportant here; through the dim strikes of night they crossed, with their only light the ebbs and flows of the moonlight that shot down over the line of trees in steady waves and crashed onto the forest below. They kept on in silence, and most of the travelers below kept their thoughts on battle, on war, on death, and on inevitability. They were all in well need of washing; life clung persistently to their clothing.

As the dead of night grew to stiffen and progress in its rigor throes, so too did the marks of something great come from a spot on the horizon. Florina first turned her eyes that way, then ascending on a sharp angle, ordering her male friend to rocket up into the sky for a better look. Vaida quickly followed upwards.

"Look, Lady Vaida. In the distance!"

Vaida saw it herself after several tensed moments of searching, and needed no further encouragement. This plain was thick and lush, but no green sea could save them from the forest's northern call. She barreled downwards, followed in short order by Florina, who nuzzled the mane of her pegasus. He neighed and did as best he could to ease her dart downward.

"Hey! You, lordling!"

Hector, walking beside Eliwood and Lyn at the vanguard, turned up to see the beast swoop beside him and move into rhythm as they marched.

"Hey, it's you again…wyvern woman."

"Oh shut up," Vaida spat. "This is no time to hear your little beaver utterances. Words come later. Look, do you see what comes from on the horizon, in the forest yon?"

"Be damned, woman," Hector said, grumbling and rolling his eyes. "I can't see _anything_ in this dark. And how am I supposed to know this isn't one of your little Fang's deceptions? I know how your ilk like to play little-"

"Raaaagh!" Vaida hissed, and nearly half the walking group turned their heads towards the beast hovering in the moonlight. "Idiot! Get someone with better eyes and a cooler head to look for you. That armor has rusted your brain over. An army _clearly_ marches forward to meet us on the horizon. And damn you, but I serve no master but the _true_ king of Bern! My even being here is a gratitude for a favor! Be thankful."

"Hector," Lyn said, her voice cool and her eyes unmoving from the moonlit landscape ahead. "I did seen something on the distance. I wasn't going to say anything until I knew it was real, but"-

"Ready for battle, then!" Hector cried suddenly, turning his head to the group behind and repeating the sentiment. "If they bring the fight to us here, then we fight here. And where's that bloody little man when you need him?" Hector looked around and laid eyes on Vaida, who still flew above. "So, I guess I owe you my thanks."

"Hmph. Crawling back to me on your knees, are you?" Vaida smiled. "Ha! Glad you decided to listen, at least." Vaida took to the air again and redoubled the deathgrip on her lance. Florina took her place and flew closer to Hector, until the wings of her pegasus nearly tickled the side of his cheek.

"Ah, um…L-Lord Hector? I, ah…"

"Bring about ten of us to the front and have the rest stay back," Hector shouted. "There, they're coming faster. Get ready!" He clutched his axe a little bit tighter and gritted his teeth.

"Lord H-Hector…um…I just w-want…wanted…wanted to"-

"Here they come!" Hector said, now breaking forward into a run. Of no fault of his own, he seemed not to notice Florina's existence, and instead lowered his head and charged. "Hurry, hurry! Don't hesitate a moment!"

"Come on, girl!" Vaida shouted to Florina below as the higher woman skirted the sky. With a tiny apology that floated away on the evening breeze, Florina left Hector's side and curved upwards until she too had reached a suitable height. The winds crooned in her ears until she leveled off to the proper plane in the sky.

Up here, anything was possible.

From this great a height, she thought, it was easy to see everything. Below her, in the incandescent fields, the marching of the two armies was like a big toy box with the little wooden soldiers charging onward, their little toothpick lances nestled in their hands and their little wood-shaving swords at their belts.

Soldiers in times of great emotion moved independent of any ruler, any government, any order. Below her, below in the waddling pool of battle, there were only little toy men, so far below her. In times of war most soldiers moved, killed, and bled in the name of government, or a figurehead, or belief.

But this approaching army was but an approaching army and they all struck to kill. They moved independent of any ruler, any government, any order. They were emotionless constructs, serving a single master, and yet they knew no dogma but total and unerring servitude. They pounded their feet against the ground in a perfect rhythm, free of deviation in melody. They moved at the will of the wood, to save themselves from burning, or from turning to splinters and shavings. A single piper stood in the midst, invisible, playing some silent song called 'irony'.

Florina turned her eyes over to the wyvern rider flying slightly above her, a lance in her hands. Vaida narrowed her eyes and pointed the lance at the army below. A small group moved east into a small grove- several soldiers and some mages. Vaida's eyes met them and she redirected her lance. She called Florina's attention over.

"Fate awaits us. You afraid?"

Vaida caught a quick glimpse of Florina shaking her head no, and without a moment of hesitation the wyvern dove, rocks and arrows, a catapult loosed on the world.

_She's just a little kitten. She can be forgiven for lying._

-

The woman wakes up without any knowledge of where she is or why she's here. It looks like a place of safety at last, but she can't be sure. She wakes up with her name (Vaida), a curse (damn it!), and a bitter taste on her tongue.

She won't know where she is for quite a while, until the men and women dressed in cloth and beads come and take her away. Then, she'll wake from the dream and be the princess she always is, always was, always will be. She will wonder where her crown is, where her jewels are, where her attendants have scurried off to, and where the virginity she feels she's lost unnaturally has gone. And she'll wonder why she tastes blood on her tongue when she's never once even come across the stuff. She will look at herself in the mirror and not see the soft, beautiful face of a promising young woman she is accustomed to seeing. Instead, she will see a vicious scar on the face of a killer and for one fleeting subconscious moment, she'll scream and hate and fear. Then, she'll wake from the dream and be in a tent.

If she had been stronger, if she had flown a little bit higher, she could have been safe. But just as memories can become dreams, so can the present become buried in doubt and introspection and nonsense. Still! If she were to have just been a little more vigilant, she could have saved herself. But if she _were_ to have been just a little more vigilant, what would have happened to the girl?

What had happened to the girl?

-

The young woman, the little girl with memories of the past and fears of the future, wakes up. She awakens to the disturbing sound of silence. Her body aches and she wonders where she is, though she thinks she's in a forest.

She won't know where she is or what has happened for a while, when the people take her to a tent and look her over. She'll look up into their faces and be afraid because they are people, people she is unfamiliar with, men she is unfamiliar with, and she will fear because she is utterly at their mercy. And all the while, she will look into their eyes and understand they are just as weak as she is, but in different ways.

She will lament she cannot help them. She'll lament because she is powerless here, because she will be weak here, and because all these people she does not know will be doing her a great service, and she will be indebted to them. She'll lament because nothing she can do will ever repay that debt. She will be too tired to be afraid of their sociality, and too young to fear what they might do to her body. But she will have a strange feeling she might be loved here, so she will try to smile as she faints again.

If she had been a little stronger, she could have protected Lady Vaida. She could have saved her from her fate. It was because of her that they ended up here. If only, if only. It was all so much to bear, the weight of the burdens she gave others, but if she had been brave enough, she could have stopped that. If only the word 'sorry' could express the entirety of the burden, but just a word would never do. If only, if only.

If only 'if only' ruled the world, instead of kings and queens and dogmas and wars and disasters. If only the world were as simple as the girl was.

If only, if only.

-

"Are you awake?"

Vaida sat up. Her head ached, her body ached, but most of all her body _tingled_. Her body danced of its own accord and heat built up in every inch of every corner. Simply sitting up caused the pain to surge through her body with added vim.

"You sound like you're in pain."

Vaida turned about to see who had spoken, was about to lash out with a burning tongue to say that it was clearly obvious from her ponderous movements and liberal grimacing that, yes, she _was_ in pain. The speaker instantly confused her. The owner of the voice was a tall woman with long arms, sweeping black hair, lightly tanned sun-borne skin and deep sea-eyes. Though she seemed capable enough, the deep, powerful voice fit neither her nor the shorter, brown-haired woman who stood close behind her, clutching her arm possessively.

"Who said that?" Vaida said, choosing her words carefully, as every one caused the pain to return.

"I did," the tall woman repeated, stroking the shorter woman's hair. Vaida's eyes narrowed. Neither of these women seemed particularly hysterical, though they both seemed concerned enough. In fact, both of them seemed both remarkably calm and rather remarkably strong- she could _sense_ strength. They looked to be in their twenties, perhaps early thirties. By her own admission, Vaida was not nearly as adept at _sensing_ age.

_They aren't the best looking woodworms in the tree, are they? _Vaida thought wryly, looking up at them. In actuality, while both of the women looked nice by average standards, they were far from royal-looking. Being acclimated to the Wyvern Knights Brigade, Vaida was used to butt-ugly human beings, and being a member of the Royal Tinhead's Beauty Pageant, she was used to unnaturally beautiful people. These two women fell in the middle, it seemed.

Both the tall and short wore robes made of gray and brown cloth that draped cleanly and wrapped around them without incident. The shorter woman behind wore an unassuming shawl of many colors around her neck, most of them blue like the sea and gray like mountain stone. Vaida chuckled inwardly (it was more comfortable for her to do so) at the fact she was probably right about the meanings of the colors. All these symbols…important. Heh.

Behind them, a rift in the tent showed a path to the outside world. It was light like morning, but maybe it was just her mind playing more tricks on her. Vaida lay back. All she wanted to do was get up, but it was so much easier to lie down. At least the burning didn't burn so much then; all it did was tingle and tickle a little bit.

"You still seem like you're in pain," the tall woman said, and Vaida again cringed at the voice. "If you wish, I can rub more of our salve on your body to ease the pain."

_Pah…salve…_

Vaida stared at the blank, concave brown of the tent's ceiling for only a moment before shooting upright in response. Her body burned again. She looked down at the upper half of her body left unconcealed by the various blankets of her bedding.

"Agh! How in the hell-- where are my clothes?"

It concerned Vaida less that she was completely bare- in front of two wholly unperturbed women, nonetheless!- as much as it concerned her that she hadn't even noticed the fact until now.

"You were writhing in pain," the shorter woman said, working her way beside the taller woman and squeezing her arm tighter. "You seemed to be in intense pain, so we removed your clothes and applied a salve and some herbs. Your injuries seem to be more internal than that of a simple skin injury, but"-

"That will do, Clarie," the tall woman said, putting a hand out. Again, Vaida cringed, and pointed out in her mind the difference between tall's manly roar and this Clarie's sweet melody. It didn't make sense, and it was _wrong_.

The tall woman motioned Vaida to lay back down. Vaida did so reluctantly, and the tall woman shared a glance with Clarie before looking back at Vaida through eyes turned down to slits.

"Do you wish that I apply some salve?"

Vaida laughed haughtily. Her sides ached. "It doesn't matter. Go ahead, if you want to." She turned her head away.

_Either way, _she thought as the taller woman procured a round tin from her robe, _it's still demoralizing._

Vaida reckoned that perhaps she fell asleep.

Vaida awoke after what could have been a moment or an eon. She rubbed her eyes with her hands, and suddenly felt one of them clasped in the hands of the brown-haired woman called Clarie. She looked down at Vaida, both concerned and relieved.

"What happened?" Vaida asked, looking around the rather spacious tent and seeing no one else. "Did I fall asleep? Damn! But I can't even remember…"

"You did sleep, my lady," Clarie said, holding Vaida's hand dear and close to her chest.

_Lady…why in hell does everyone call me that?_

"For how long, then?"

"I'm not sure. About an hour," Clarie said.

Vaida grunted.

"Shania applied the salve for ten minutes, massaging you…" Clarie said, shutting her eyes. "You fell asleep quickly. You must have been exhausted, of course." She fell to one knee and looked toward Vaida.

_Foam green…_

"Are you still in pain, my lady? Please tell me you're alright."

Vaida sat up, shaking her hand free from Clarie's grasp and moving her arms and shoulders left and right. She longer cared that she was nude, only that the pain was less, the burning was less, and she was a little bit closer to getting up and holding a lance again-

Vaida's eyes widened and she clenched her mouth. Before Clarie could stop, she threw the covers off and stood up. The pain surged through her body, but she shook it away.

"Damn it! Where am I, anyway?" Vaida looked around, wrinkling her face and scowling into the nothing. "Where is everyone? Umbriel? Our little troupe?"

"My lady, please!" Clarie said, her eyes widening. She put two of her soft hands on Vaida's stomach. "Please, you mustn't overexert yourself. I don't want to see you collapse!"

Vaida scowled. "Pah, collapse…"

She sat back on the bed despite her reservations. "And don't touch me again, woman," she added as Clarie stepped back and away.

"I'm sorry, my lady. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

_Hyagh! Too late._

"If I may ask, my lady, what is your name?" Clarie said, brushing a lock of hair out of her face and smiling warmly, her head turned just a little bit to the side. "I'd like to know what I can call you."

Vaida snorted.

"If it means anything, my name is Clarie." Clarie crossed a hand over her heart. "As long as you are here in my home, I will treat you with the same care I treat my love."

"…my name is Vaida."

"Vaida," Clarie parroted, smiling brightly and flaring up a small dimple on her cheek. "What a lovely name."

-

Florina woke to the sight of two men and a woman standing over her. The first thing she noticed was that the bed was soft and comfortable.

I was lying in a forest. Now I'm here. Where is 'here'? 

"Are you quite alright?" asked one of the men, a tan-skinned man with thick black hair and long, spindly arms. He seemed concerned enough; in fact, it seemed as though his well being hinged on the bedded girl's health. He looked on with just the right amount of eagerness. Beside him, a man with powerful-looking arms and narrowed, entrenched eyes knelt. He looked toward Florina intently and the girl bit her lip and shivered.

Florina tried to sit up, but could not find the strength.

"Ah…it hurts…"

"You should be thankful, hm?" The man with the great arms ran a hand through his short, neatly arranged brown hair. "You must have fallen from a great height. To be blunt, it's a miracle you're still alive, considering your frailty."

"Watch yourself, Ahast. Hours spent in pain do not make a 'frail' woman." The one woman in the room crossed her arms.

Ahast grunted and nodded.

"W-Where am I?" Florina said, voice beginning to tremor and break. Florina looked around and saw what looked to be the inside of a tent, and peeking from one crack in the walls, a brazen shaft of sunlight. But this was no tent she had ever seen before.

_Please, Lady Lyn…please protect me in these times, wherever you are. Please, protect me…_

Ahast dropped to one knee.

"You are safe. I assure you."

"Yes, but…um…" Florina's eyes turned from one man to the other, to the woman, and back. She was almost too tired to be afraid; she just wanted to sleep. "Where am I?"

The shorter man with thin arms and black hair spoke. "You're in the village of Tilas, in a tent. Don't worry, you're safe, there's nothing to worry about, don't worry."

Why was everyone assuring her she was safe? Florina had no idea where she was, no idea how she got there, and her body continued to ache. She had gone from soaring the skies, to pain, then blankness, then pain again, then she magically appeared here in the tent. No, she didn't feel safe here. Not at all. Neither of the two men were particularly reassuring with their appearances. The scars and asymmetrical imperfections of their face gave her continued pause. They were far from being paragons of good looks, though they were far from 'ugly'. Still! The comfortable bed was starting to become uncomfortably uncomfortable.

But in a way, these people reminded her of the proud plainsfolk of Sacae. They dressed differently, and they spoke a bit differently, but they reminded her of the Sacaen nomads nonetheless. They reminded her she didn't belong.

The villagers were garbed in plain, rather nondescript clothing, whereas she felt only blankets against her bare skin. They held concern, pity in their eyes, as though to say that from the bottom of their heart, they were sorry for her. And like always, Florina could do nothing but look up and try to smile. And the more she did, the more it hurt.

"If you're at all worried, neither of us touched you," the black-haired man said, speaking perhaps as honestly as was humanly capable. "Oh, by the way, my name is Kavi. And, ah"- he stopped for a moment as if conscious of his out-of-place declaration, and continued, "Neither of us men"- he gestured to himself and to Ahast- "ever touched you. Alina undressed you and applied a healing salve to your wounds. We never touched you."

The woman standing behind Ahast and Kavi smiled. "Don't fret, Kavi. You've made that clear now."

Now that Florina noticed, the woman had been watching intently the entire time. She looked to be older than the two men; forty and two at most. She was remarkably well defined, with arms both slim and enforced, a firm figure, and a ramrod stance. She was at once both formidable-looking and thoroughly reassuring. The cut of her mild orange-brown hair was short and practical. She looked on with a calming smile.

Florina relaxed a bit. She set her mind to releasing the tension in her shoulders and in the rest of her body. Her legs _ached_.

"We wouldn't harm you, dear lady," Kavi said, nodding.

His fellow concurred. "We would not think about dishonoring you, good lady." Ahast fell to one knee and his heart crossed his hand over itself. His face was stoic as the plains ever were. "We treat women with the utmost respect. Never doubt our resolve and our honor. I would not stand to see anything ill come to you, I promise."

"She isn't," Alina said, "doubting us."

"I'm glad she at least doesn't look like a threat," Ahast remarked, standing back. "I don't know about the other one."

"Ahast!" Kavi said. "Don't start that…"

"I…I…"

The three people looked down at Florina who looked back up with her eyes pleading for her.

"I'm tired…"

Alina nodded and cocked her head towards the door, her eyes towards her friends. "Then sleep, dear."

-

Through the pain and the burning surging through her, Vaida stepped outside for the first time. The afternoon sun shone brightly overhead and affronted her eyes.

The people bustled from place to place. There were plains here, many plains; in the distance there were mountains, crags, and cliffs manipulated by jagged pillars of stone; there was a great lake encircled by lush grass in the distance; a great forest yon, and through it snaked a vigorous brook. Scattered across the plains over a rather wide area was a liberal fleshing of semi-spherical brown tents (Vaida estimated about fifty or sixty). Each one had little decorations of different sorts on the sides.

All the people here wore similar styles and colors of clothing: their garbs were elegant in their simplicity. They each had tanned skin from the harsh lapping of the sun, and they all carried themselves with poise and excellent posture. Some carried large jugs, pelts, or weapons; some balanced tomes on either arm and read; some carried canvases lush with the colors of the earth. Several walked around with instruments, releasing strings of mellow, powerful earthen music into the sky.

_Hmph…_Vaida thought as she ambled out, her head sniffing here and there, scrutinizing every nuance of the village. She pulled her villager's robe closer to her body and felt the sensation of a phantom lance clutched in her right hand. To the villagers, who would notice such things, Vaida's eyes portrayed a sense of perplexity that she herself did not believe she held.

_Just where did I end up? Are these people like the simpletons of Sacae I've heard about? The foolish prideful nomads who know nothing of cordiality or manners and know only unrefined manners of fighting? Eh, I wonder if living on Valor changed them any._

"Oh, Lady Vaida!"

Vaida turned about in the middle of the plains. The woman from before, Clarie, rushed from her tent to greet her.

"How are you? Do you feel alright?"

Vaida snorted. "I still feel like I'm burning, but I'm alright. Nothing that could stop me from going on, anyway. I'm going to take flight as soon as I can."

"Oh, no," Clarie said, looking Vaida in the eye. "You absolutely can't, my lady! You had a terrible fall. You're in no condition to fly!"

"Hah! Says who?"

"You mustn't overexert yourself," Clarie said, insisting with her arms. "I don't want to see anything happen to you, Lady Vaida!"

"Why does everyone insist on calling me 'Lady'?" Vaida said, scowling. She shot an errant glance at a woman passing by, who recoiled before walking away. "Just call me Vaida."

"Oh…alright, then. Vaida! But, I still don't think you should be out riding. You need to take it easy! I don't want to have a guest of ours collapse in our care. I absolutely can't let that happen."

Vaida was about to walk away when she stopped dead in her tracks and laughed.

Clarie seemed stunned as she stared at Vaida's back, a hand gingerly pressed against the back of her neck, the strands of light-brown hair seeping through her fingers.

"A 'guest'?" Vaida said at last. "If I were to have chosen my destination, it would be somewhere far away from this place." She continued to walk away when she heard something a bit different.

"So. How does it feel to be out of your element?"

Vaida turned around at the telltale deep voice.

"You"-

"My name is Shania," the tall woman said, putting an arm around Clarie and placing a kiss on her forehead. Vaida stood at a distance. "And," Shania continued, "you seem to be feeling a bit better."

"I'm fine," Vaida said curtly. "I feel fine. I've been injured many times before. You see the mark of my labors on my cheek? I'm perfectly fine."

"You lie."

Vaida's roving eyes shot directly up to meet Shania's. Clarie looked up over at her, surprised.

"Amikoi…"

"Clarie, hush."

Vaida stepped forward slowly, sneering at several of the villagers in the near distance, then she turned back to Shania. "Well. What would give you the impression I'm not all right? Eh? Do you have an intimate glance into my mind?" Vaida laughed, and her eyes widened, wincing as the burning sensation rose.

"It's plain to see. Any one of us can tell you're in a great deal of pain."

_Liar. I feel no pain. I've felt pain much greater before-_

"And," Shania continued, running her hands through Clarie's hair to soothe her, "you're too much of a proud fool to actually admit you still hurt."

_Liar! Liar! Liar, this pain is nothing, little bitch, this pain is nothing-_

"Ha! Of course I'm proud. Do you even know who I am?" Vaida said, stepping forward again. "I was a royal knight of Bern, a member of"-

"I don't care."

"Eh? …what did you say?"

"Did I not say it loud enough?" Shania said, now crossing her arms. Clarie stood beside her and pressed a hand to her own heart. "I said I don't care. In your world, you are whoever you are. Here, you're a guest. You'll do all you can to get yourself better, and then you'll leave." Shania's face was unflinching, and it seemed her body was as well; she stood stark still as a statue, not caring or daring to release the gaze.

Shania shook her head."Understand we never will refuse to help you. It's not in my nature to refuse aid to those who need it. And you, as much as you may hate to admit it, need our help."

Vaida stepped forward again. "Eh. And if I do? What is that? What is it to you if I wish to return to the skies? I want to return to the life I knew. I have a favor to repay, a deed to see to the end. I've surrendered myself to the executioner already. I can't be spending my days here in the company of _simpletons_."

Clarie gasped and pressed two hands to her mouth. Shania's eyes rolled.

"Life and death _are_ simple things. Why do you think everyone dies?"

"W-what? Bah! Silly little proverbs and sayings," Vaida said, stepping closer. Clarie took a step back while Shania stood her ground.

"I can't say I quite understand," Shania said, not running from Vaida's glare. "You've forgotten. Does it hurt you to know you've lost something precious to you? Does it hurt to know that you could get that thing back only if you stopped being so damn _foolish_?"

Vaida stepped forward until her face was nearly touching Shania's, her breath baring hot against the village woman's cheeks.

"Graaagh! I've lost nothing but my patience, village maggot," Vaida said as she bared her teeth. "I belong to the skies. I've fought through worse pain bef"-

"_Listen_!"

Vaida leapt back. Shania's voice shook her; it was loud and cutting at such a short distance. Vaida briefly considered charging her, tackling her to the ground and choking those silly words out of her mind. Her hands trembled and the heat threatened to renew its hold on her-

"Aren't you sick?" Shania said, her red eyes raging but her demeanor calm. "Aren't you sick of sending everyone away from you? In the end, you burn inside, but you can't stand anything coming in-between you and your precious freedom. There's something greater than your life, greater than the lives of those around you, isn't there?"

Vaida stood silent.

"Hear the mountains shake," Shania said. "Hear the mountains roar and scream for mercy only as their sides come rumbling down. I've never been one for symbols, but I've always been one for that one."

Shania turned and walked away, leaving Vaida to stand there and seethe. Clarie stepped forward in Shania's place and put a hand on Vaida's shoulder.

"Is there someone you want to see? I think there's someone who wants to see you. Your _amikoi_? If you wish to see her, follow me." The woman smiled like the afternoon sun and walked the other way, occasionally stopping to look back and urge Vaida along.

Vaida blinked. "ah…mee…coy…_amikoi_?"

-

"Excuse me? Are you our other guest?"

Florina looked up from her bed. The two men and Alina stepped aside as Clarie appeared in the doorframe. She laughed and brushed her hair back.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should introduce myself!" She walked over to the bed and offered a hand to Florina, who took it gently. "My name is Clarie."

Clarie's smile was so gracious and her face so tender that it was impossible for the bedded girl to be afraid. "Um…my name is Florina. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too! And, I think there's someone who wants to see you, but I don't know if she has come along yet."

"Ah!" said Florina, sitting up and wincing. "Lady Vaida? I-Is Lady Vaida alright?"

"Oh, she'll be fine, Lady Florina," Clarie said, waving a hand. "There's nothing our love and care can't mend."

"That isn't quite true, Clarie," Ahast said, with a hand on Kavi's shoulder. Kavi rubbed Ahast's brown hair reciprocally.

"Ah, of course it isn't! But there are so many things kindness can do. At least, um…we shouldn't ignore the fact."

"It is our herbal remedies that aid the ill," Ahast said. "Care and affection are there to take their mind off of their plights."

Alina fidgeted and chuckled in the background. "Don't be so literal, Ahast. You miss the point."

"Perhaps."

"If anything, it eases their pain," Kavi said as he hung off of the arm of his fellow man. "Isn't that enough, Ahast?"

"Perhaps."

Clarie left from her perch in the door of the tent. "Ah, I'm sorry to say, but some of us should leave. The tent is going to get crowded."

"I'll leave. There are some things I must get done." Ahast bowed quickly to the bedded Florina, who cracked a weak smile before watching him leave. Kavi bowed as well, a finger pressing against his lip and trailing off in a strong kiss to the girl before following hastily after him.

"Which leaves two," said Alina after both were gone. She approached Florina's bed with a motherly look on her face, her mouth flat and her eyes open and feeling. "Child, are you still in pain? Do you need anything?"

Florina shook her head and tried to sit up, but the strength still eluded her. Her lavender hair fell back haphazardly against her pillow. She felt more energy flow into her body, and she felt more comfortable herself with the two men gone away, but she still felt the aches surge here and there. The discomfort of unfamiliarity was slowly fading away, but the uncertainty remained. She was unsure if time would ease these ills.

Vaida appeared at the door in short time, and her eyes widened upon seeing Florina, idle and built of glass, but alive and in these peoples' care.

"Ha…girl. You're still alive, eh?"

"Lady Vaida…" Florina sat up. She winced as the pain struck her, and automatically covered herself with her arms as the covers fell from her torso. "Oh, I…I'm…"

Florina's eyes began to well and she began to sob quietly. She tilted her head down and drew herself into a little ball, hidden away, with her lavender hair tumbling down her back and shoulders. Vaida did nothing but cringe as her eyes looked over the girl.

"Sadness and joy are often the same thing," Alina said, watching Vaida intently. "My name is Alina. Yours is Vaida, is it not?"

Vaida looked over and nodded.

"Go over and hold her. It'll do her well. Go on," she added as Vaida hesitated.

The former wyvern knight walked over to Florina's bed and knelt. Vaida hid her face for a moment: it was far too difficult to simply tolerate her paper heart being serrated as it was. She understood this _feeling_ as the unwelcome nausea of a kill, of the horrified shrieks of a victim, of the pleading of one unwilling to meet the end quietly. She understood the feeling as an annoying imperfection of the heart: an obstacle that kept her lance from becoming the unbreakable, unshakable arm of her grandeur.

Vaida put her arms around the weeping Florina and looked away.

-

Surprisingly enough, Vaida hadn't recognized how hungry she was until she saw the food. The afternoon had begun to slowly slip away as the sun began to melt over the mountains. Supported by Vaida and Alina's steady arms, Florina (now also dressed in a villager's robe) was taken to the largest tent in Tilas village. From the outside, it was a great cone stretching into the sky. From inside, it was a haven where two rows of three tables, each carved of wood, lined the floor, wood benches beside. On one table, an assortment of food had been laid out in neat patterns: piles of fresh fruit, roasted meat, vegetables and herbs. The floor was plains grass, but it was lush and green underfoot and gave the feeling of a dew-soaked morning when walked on. As she led Florina along, Vaida thought that this place here was a palace to these people. She laughed inwardly and at once felt a faraway longing for Bern that faded fast.

Florina sat at the food table beside Vaida. Alina lowered herself into a seat opposite them, and when Shania and Clarie entered, they sat beside the other lady. The unacquainted were introduced and they began to eat.

"You have quite an appetite, La- Vaida!" Clarie said with a bright smile. "Is the food to your liking?"

Vaida tore mercilessly through a leg of some roast meat. She didn't know exactly what it was, but she knew it was good, and she knew it was _good_. She mumbled something unintelligible through a bulging mouthful. Clarie giggled where Alina only smiled, and Shania seemed utterly nonplussed. Vaida swallowed and sighed before attempting to utter anything again.

"Honestly, the food is delicious! I've not tasted something this good in such a while. A pity I had to leave my pack with that fool Merlinus…"

"Um…well, I'm glad you enjoy it! Actually, Alina prepared this meal." Clarie gestured to the red-haired woman, who nodded. Her chin was at the moment buried in one of her hands, one elbow affixed to the table. Her eyes roved from Florina to Vaida and back again, giving each of the two guests an equal amount of eye time.

"Um…thank you for this meal," Florina said, putting a peach into her mouth and taking a bite.

"Ah"-

"Eee!" Florina squeaked. She dropped the peach onto the table and clamped her mouth shut with her hands.

"Ha ha!" Vaida laughed, swallowing a gigantic bite of meat and wiping her mouth with a sweeping hand. "Was there a hard core in there?"

Florina nodded, which was apparently the cue for Vaida to throw her head back and burst into laughter. Clarie began to giggle, then burst out laughing herself, trying in vain to apologize through peals of laughter that reverberated through the air and caused her to clutch her side laughing. Florina began to giggle, which then escalated into laughter, until all three were laughing hysterically, Vaida so hard that a tear escaped her eye and tumbled down her cheek.

Alina and Shania looked on; both of them bore small smiles that only grew larger, just as the sun always rises.

They finished their meal in relative silence, Vaida devouring most of the meat and many of the herbs and vegetables. Florina picked her fruit with a bit more care, choosing to munch happily on a fresh apple. She stood poised on the edge of a dangerous precipice when she took a plum in her hands, but giggled and carefully nibbled away on the edges. At the end of the meal, Alina stood and excused herself with a parting suggestion that the guests might sleep in the beds they awoke in.

"Ah, so did you enjoy your meal?" Clarie asked, leaning forward.

Vaida nodded and ripped away at the last bit of meat on the leg she was eating.

"I enjoyed it very much!" Florina said, finishing her plum and wiping the juices from her lips. "The fruit was so fresh and delicious…I haven't had such delicious fruits in a long time!"

"Clarie helped cultivate and nurture them," Shania explained, sitting back in her seat and crossing her arms idly. She smiled at her companion. Florina leaned forward a bit.

"Oh, _amikoi_…" Clarie said, waving a hand through the air. "You know as well as I that I did very little of the work. I only planted a few of the patches and tilled some of the soil. In fact, the only thing I really did do was…ah…" Clarie drew herself back and turned her head away. "Oh, it's just a little bit embarrassing."

"Now _I'm_ curious," Shania said, laughing. Vaida and Florina leaned in towards them without even noticing that they did so.

"What else did you do, Clarie?"

"Well, I…talked to the plants."

Vaida bit her lip and covered her mouth with a hand. She snorted lightly a few times.

"Oh, what's so embarrassing about that?" Florina said. "Talking to plants is a good thing! When I was on the plains of Sacae, I saw many of the garden-tenders kneeling down at the vegetable patches, talking and cooing and singing and saying earth poetry to the plants." Florina clasped her hands together and looked at Clarie. "I think it's a very beautiful thing to do."

Vaida broke out laughing again, and this time, no one joined in. When her laughter died down, she sat back.

"Well, is everyone finished eating?" Clarie asked at last. Florina and Vaida both nodded.

"It's beginning to get late," Shania said, and she stood up. "You should go to sleep early tonight. After what happened, you need to recuperate."

"What?" Vaida said, rising to her feet, the smile slipping away from her face. "I can't stay an entire night here! Are you mad?" Indeed, it was an absurd idea. She longed for the feeling of the wind, for the feeling of her mount between her knees, for the feeling of the sky's great power-

"You already have," Shania said as Clarie stood up and put her head on her shoulder playfully.

Vaida growled. Impeccable logic, really. "Pah…for what it's worth, the burning isn't half as bad…and I don't trust you enough to spend an entire night here."

"You already have," Shania repeated. "Except last time you were unconscious, seriously injured, and unable to defend yourself."

Vaida growled again, another sure sign that she had been adeptly beaten in a joust of words.

"Please, won't you stay the night with us?" Clarie said. "I promise we will make your time here as pleasant as we can. We really enjoy your comp"-

"Enough, Clarie. If they want to stay here, they can. If not, I can't stop them."

"_Amikoi_…"

"_Clarie_!"

Clarie stepped back. Shania kept her eyes locked on the two guests.

"Will you stay with us? If you want to leave, you'd best do it now. Once the sun sets, it'll be hard to find anything."

Florina inched closer to Vaida and said her name softly.

"…fine," Vaida said at last. "I'd forgotten I have to…to care for the girl. We'll rest here for a night."

"Ah! That's wonderful!" Clarie exclaimed, clasping her hands. "We're certainly glad to have you."

Shania concurred just as Alina appeared at the door to the tent. Even from the distance between, the four women saw a broad smile on the eldest woman's face. She was framed by a sunburst of orange and red.

"I don't know if any of you care to see, but there's a beautiful sunset out there. It's really a sight to behold."

All three other women looked over at Vaida, Florina looking up with reservedly eager eyes.

_I can tell. The girl wants to break out and jump up and down like a crazed infant. Graaagh! All of their eyes are on me! And sanity be damned, I'd rather they not look at me at all._

Vaida cracked a tiny smile. "Eh, why not?"


	2. Part II

-

The rather plain, active village had exploded in a swirl of rich atmosphere and sheer brilliance. The great sun set steadily over the horizon, already beginning to coalesce the divided skies into a quilt of brilliant colors. The air was a mellow, rich orange; fresh with the crispness of the night and comfortably temperate with the disappearance of the previous night's chill. The village was quieter now, with most of the people watching the sunset from various places, or staying inside their tents and tending to their business.

Vaida followed the three village women, balancing Florina on one arm as she walked along.

"I'm feeling better, Lady Vaida," Florina whispered in her ear. "Um…I'm sorry if I was a burden to you before. I'm sure that if you were flying on"-

"Eh, forget it," Vaida said, keeping her eyes on the distance. She occasionally looked up into the maelstrom of hues above, catching sight of the myriad colors and feeling the _feeling_ she felt before. These _feelings_ she was feeling were coming back, she mused, and they were as irritating and repetitive as always.

"Ah…Lady Vaida? Thank you for caring enough to protect me before," Florina pulled herself nearer. "I'm glad to know you're there to protect me."

"Don't flatter yourself," Vaida grunted softly. "I don't remember exactly what happened, but next time you can be sure I won't leather my skin trying to save you. I think you got us both trapped down here."

_We're trapped…and I just won't leave. Ah, damn it…_

"Ah…I'm…I'm sorry," Florina said, until Vaida turned her cheek towards her face with a free hand. They continued to walk.

"I thought I told you not to whimper. A fighter doesn't whine. She fights. Hold your head high."

Vaida's eyes rolled as Florina sniffled.

"Yes, L-Lady Vaida."

"You could learn a lot from me, little girl. Learn how to trust in yourself, learn how to believe in yourself…learn how to hold your head high. Yes, you could learn a lot."

They walked on. Vaida may have had the desire to ask where the three women were leading them, but she didn't have the common sense. Instead, she furrowed her brow and walked. They were traveling through the open plains now, away from what appeared to be the boundaries of the village. Off to the left, there were sparse patches of tree, and to the right a large grove. Up in the distance, a rather large hill (or a really small mountain) led upwards, and presumably gave a good view of a sunset. The trail looked rocky. Vaida cursed to herself.

"Shania! Clarie! Alina!"

Twice the three names were repeated. The group stopped in their tracks as two men came running from the distance behind and in short time caught up. One man had long arms and wild black hair; the other had highly muscled arms and neat brown hair. Florina recognized them as Kavi and Ahast from before.

"Kavi! Ahast! Are you going to come watch the sunset with us?"

"Might as well," Ahast said, rustling his companion's black hair. "We've finished everything we need to do. Larent and Kalas are smithing something, but-"

"I convinced him to come out here, actually," Kavi said. "He was going to stay in his tent and weave something. I said 'hey, you can't spend forever inside! Come out with me and we'll watch the sunset together!' And, there you have it. Oh, have I introduced myself?" Kavi turned to Vaida and Florina. "My name's Kavi. And he's Aha- ah, I'll let him introduce himself."

Vaida rolled her eyes inwardly, and chuckled inwardly. _Does this fool even know how awkward he sounds? What a bizarre man…_

Ahast cleared his throat. "My name is Ahast. I've met you, Lady…Florina, was it? You must be the other guest?"

Vaida nodded. "Vaida."

"I see. Well," Ahast looked away. "Serve yourself well here, that's all I can say. Serve yourself well."

The two men followed along as the group walked further along towards the hill. They grouped close together, the three village women talking amongst one another, and Kavi walked alongside Vaida, waiting for the opportunity to say something. Ahast walked next to him on the other side.

"So, your name was Vaida, you said?"

Vaida grunted.

"I see," Kavi said, stealing a glance at Ahast before looking back at her. "I'm certainly glad you are alright. You seem to be all right. When they brought you two back, I was afraid…but now you seem to be okay." He flashed a great smile. "I'm glad."

_I'm sure you are, fellow…_Vaida thought. _Now go away…_

"Do you plan to leave?" Ahast asked as they reached the edge of a small grove at the base of the hill. It was a short walk, and then they went up. Vaida ignored the man until he repeated his question.

"Of course I plan to leave!" Vaida snapped. "Believe me, I would _love_ to leave right about now. I'll stay here only as long as I have to."

"But you have to admit, at least it's an interesting experience, isn't it?" Kavi said, tilting his head closer to Vaida. "I haven't known any other life. Still, it must be an interesting experience, you know?"

"Actually, little man," she said firmly, turning his head away from her as she walked along, "I _don't_ know."

Kavi swallowed something, and shied away from her. Ahast shook his head and pulled an arm around Kavi.

The grove here was shallow, and it quickly gave way to the base of the hill. One gravelly trail wound up through the otherwise thick grassy hillside, and even from this base, the group could easily look up and stare endlessly up into the sky. Vaida and Florina trailed behind the villagers as they went up, taking care so that their steps wouldn't loose a stream of gravel and rock behind them and tumble down the slope like two rocks in a summer avalanche. Vaida steadied the young girl by wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her forward. Vaida was vaguely reminded of carrying a tiny sheaf of wood.

"Lady Vaida…" Florina said timidly as they ascended. "What…what do you think about the village and, um, the people here?"

"I think…" _I think I don't know what I think. Ha ha. _"They're…" Vaida lowered her voice so only Florina could hear and sneered, "backwater, unsophisticated, nobodies. Although they have a sense of courtesy, at least. And, I thought I told you to stop calling me 'lady'!"

"Ah! Oh, um…right," Florina shook her head and drew an arm around Vaida to stabilize herself as she stepped along. The sky was drawing ever nearer, and now that they were near the top, Florina and Vaida could see a gathering of people atop the hill. Some stood and stared off into the distance, and some sat, arms around someone else and stared off into the distance. Either way, it was one big staring-off-into-the-distance party, and Florina and Vaida were invited.

By Vaida's own admission, the perch at the top of the hill gave a marvelous view of the sunset. There, in the distance, the orange and red sun was melting over the horizon, and leaving liquid trails of light behind it. There were the distinctive reds, oranges, and blues, but now a line of pink spread through and the sky became a muddled palette- a combination of dreamlike pastels soaring into the sky and _becoming_ the sky off on the horizon.

Vaida sat beside Florina on the hill and looked away, off into one of the more vacant-hued sections of the sky. Clarie and Shania sat near them, and Ahast and Kavi on the opposite sides, and looked out. Vaida felt Florina shudder.

"What does it mean that we can never reach the horizon?" Kavi said, looking out and pulling Ahast close to him. "What does it mean that, as far as we travel, we can never reach that distant goal?"

"You go far enough and you'll find nothing," Vaida said. "A whole lot of nothing."

"But, I'd like to think we are more than just people looking for the horizon," Clarie said, rocking back and forth and clasping her hands. "Maybe we are people learning to be happy with what we have, with who we are."

Vaida hid a scowl and peered intently at nothing in particular. _It's like they exist only to try to teach me some idealistic lesson! I've never sought the horizon with any more passion than I've sought myself! _She laughed inwardly at her little vulgar witticism.

"Look at the colors, L- um, Vaida," Florina said, raising a finger and pointing at the sunset. "Look at the way the colors blend together. It's so lovely…"

"Little child…amused by all the colors? Ha ha…that sounds so funny."

"Yes, but look! Look at all the- the beauty."

Vaida scoffed. "I'm not convinced."

"Of what, might I ask?" Shania said, turning to look at Vaida. "Do you really need any convincing? What's beauty if it needs to be rationalized?"

"Eh? I don't know! It's just a sunset. Every night, they happen. Every single night. There's no sentimentality in a sunrise, just another forgettable moment."

"Then maybe you should try to remember," Ahast said. His voice was plain, but honest. If anything, the offhandedness was a bit strange to hear, but at least he sounded like he believed what he was saying. "Remember a sunrise, at least once. At least then you'll have one to judge all the others based on."

"Gah! What strange little people you are," Vaida said, eyes returning to the sky. "Strange little folks indeed."

Incidental conversation struck through the air.

"I love sitting here watching the sunset with you, _amikoi_," Kavi said, laying his head on Ahast's shoulder. Ahast patted his fellow's head with a hand. One arm was wrapped around Kavi's shoulder.

Vaida turned an eye toward the two men and pursed her lips.

"I like it too," Ahast said.

"It's times like these that make every day worthwhile, isn't it?"

Ahast nodded.

Vaida shook her head. Beside her, Clarie and Shania were making similar talk. Clarie kissed the back of Shania's neck and Shania pulled her tight. Vaida couldn't help being perplexed, but she merely shook her head and looked back up at the sunset.

_Strange people. Strange, strange people._

"Um, Vaida?"

Vaida turned to Florina. "Yes? What is it, girl?"

Florina looked out towards the sunrise and tried to evade Vaida's gaze. As far as little Florina knew, big Vaida meant well; but her eyes frightened her. She could be close to her, stay under her aegis, as long as she didn't have to peer into those demanding eyes.

"Can I- can I ask you a question?"

Vaida smiled and looked off into the distance. The sky, a swirled mix of indiscernible colors and feelings. The girl brought out something similar in her. That's why Vaida hated protecting her, but she needed protecting, so…

"Yeah, ask a question."

"What…does the sky mean to you, Lady Vaida?"

Vaida chided her on the title again, but answered in short order. "The sky? The sky is a- a- what kind of a question is that?"

"I-- I just wanted to know your opinion. What do you think about when…when we return?"

Vaida sighed. Here in the hot pinks and dull oranges of the hill, returning meant nothing, but tomorrow…

"The sky. It's that feeling of power when you elevate yourself far above your enemies and they become nothing more than insignificant flecks beneath you. The sky is the only place where freedom becomes more than a silly little word and becomes _something_, at least just a little bit."

"I see," Florina replied, bowing her head. She thought about it, let the words run through and over her mind. "You feel free when you fly?"

"Ragh! Not just _free_, girl!" Vaida said, looking at her. "The sky is the only place where life is worth living! Because once the novelty of living life wears off, there's nothing much left, is there? Just more of the same."

Shania turned her head toward Vaida before looking away.

"Well, um…I don't know if I would say _all_ of that," Florina said, nibbling at her lip and turning her head to look at Vaida. "But, um…I think I feel the same way."

Vaida looked into her eyes. It was always surprising to her, seeing the innocence there. Such things a mirror could never catch.

"It's…it's so open and free in the sky," Florina said. "Whenever I'm riding on Huey and soaring through the skies, I never feel afraid. Sometimes I feel like I'm…I'm lonely, but…I never feel afraid when I'm flying."

"That's good," Vaida said at last, putting a hand on Florina's hair and rustling it vigorously. "Keep flying, then. I'll keep flying. Hah! I'll keep flying until I die."

Silence threatening to garrote her, Florina spoke. "Um…why do you think you're going to die?"

Vaida laughed dryly and the men near Florina turned to look over at them. "Don't make me laugh, girl. We're all going to die. It's just a matter of when."

"It makes me a little sad that you're thinking about when…when you die, Vaida."

"Better than the alternative."

For a moment, both sat silently as the villagers around them talked in hushed breaths. Florina felt an indescribable feeling of sadness, looking up at Vaida. _For_ Vaida? Yes, something in the wyvern knight's glare seemed familiar. What that she were not so timid, Florina thought of herself. She would have reached out and wiped the sadness from Vaida's eyes so that she wouldn't have to bear that emotion too.

Florina decided to speak at last. "Um…what do you mean by…a-alternative?" she asked hesitantly, sending a fly buzzing about her head away with a wave. She blinked.

"Alternative?" Vaida hissed loudly. Some of the villagers sitting around turned their heads to look at her. She spoke as though Florina were stupid. "Living! Having to bear the far-too-heavy standard of battle onward and upward forever. Why cheat death? It doesn't play fair."

Florina grasped at her lip with her teeth.

"Take my advice, for whatever worth it might have," Vaida said, looking out onto the horizon with faraway eyes. "Don't think about it. I live for battle. I live for the sky. That's where I belong. I'm playing a game with the devil, and I'm playing it poor. You keep on looking for your place, but don't be an idiot and do as I did."

"L-Lady Vaida?"

"You're not afraid of me, are you, girl?" Vaida said abruptly, looking at Florina and turning her cheek towards her with a finger.

"U-um, I'm not af-fraid," Florina said, her hands trembling as Vaida clenched them in hers. "I'm- I'm just intimidated, that's all. I'm…sorry." Florina bowed her head. "I'm sorry…"

Vaida smiled. She looked away and put a rough hand softly on Florina's head. _She's honest. Did I expect anything less? Maybe before, I did._

"I'm glad."

-

"It's really touching to see you with your _amikoi_," Clarie said as the group descended into the dusk. She wrapped her arm firmly around Shania's body and placed a kiss on her cheek before sharing a kiss on the lips.

Vaida grimaced slightly. "Alright," she said, stopping where she was and rooting Florina in place with a firm hand. "I've been wondering about this the whole time. What in blazes is an _amikoi_?"

"Ah! That's right, you don't…really know, do you?" Clarie said sheepishly. "Sorry about that!"

Behind them, Kavi and Ahast stopped to listen.

"_Amikoi_," Clarie said, kissing Shania again. "Your love. The one you truly care for. _Amikoi_ is just a sweet little term- an affectionate term. I know you like to pretend you don't really care, but you love Lady Florina, don't you, Lady Vaida?"

For a moment, Vaida had to suspend her disbelief. The air was now orange mixed with dark blackness, and she had to wonder if everything happening up into now was all just some sick dream. She began to chuckle, then burst into waves of laugher. It was the only appropriate way she saw to respond.

"Ah…was what I said really that funny?"

"Clarie," Shania said, putting a hand on her love's shoulder. "Alright. Let me explain it to you, Vaida. Here in Tilas, 'love', in all its inexplicability, is between two women or two men. I understand that's a bit different than how it works in the 'outside world'. I'm sure if we lived on the mainland around all the people from the great cities, we would be crusaded against to no end- railed against, tormented. We would have our humanity and our love brought into question: we'd be called immoral, godless, or perhaps even worthless. Our love and our care would be forbidden, and warred against."

Her face still disfigured by disbelief, Vaida could only flash a mutilated scowl/sneer and utter one word.

"Why?" Kavi repeated from behind her. His hand was firmly set on Ahast's turned shoulder. "Well, because that's the way, uh- the way things are. That's the only way I can explain it. We spend time with…with the people we feel comfortable around. If you feel comfortable, you can always- well, if there's someone that makes you feel special, why _shouldn't_ you spend time with them?"

_Eh?_ _Yes, why not? The idea itself is logical enough-_

"Then how do you mate?" Vaida shot, steadying Florina as loosely as she could and looking back at Kavi intently.

"Men and women reproduce," Shania explained, crossing her arms. "And together, they raise their children until they come of age."

"We love our children," Ahast said, still looking away. "We love and respect them like we love and respect ourselves. And we respect everyone here. But love, that's…"

Vaida scoffed. "What a…strange thing. I've never heard of anything silly like that before"- _You wouldn't care if you truly thought it 'silly'-_ "I suppose you do as you will here, eh? You do things your own way here, don't you?"

"How did I know you would question us?" Shania said wryly, smiling. "We're not ashamed of what we think here, of what we feel. Each of us does our part, and we don't hide anything here. We've never had anything to prove to you."

_I'm sure you don't_, Vaida thought. _I'm sure you don't think a whit of what we think of you here…_

"Shania," Alina said as she caught up to them from behind. "It's alright. They have their own way of feeling."

"So it would seem."

Alina leaned closer and whispered into Shania's ears. Vaida pricked up her own.

"Shania…you seem rather irritable. Is the lily…?"

Shania spoke at her normal volume and sneered. "I'd be like this anyway. You know that, Alina." She turned about and walked away in haste, her feet pounding heavy against the gravel trail. Alina nodded flatly.

Vaida and Florina were unusually quiet as they returned to their tents. Vaida briefly wondered what the sky would look like now if it had a face.

-

Vaida and Florina sat together, staring into the fire. Neither could remember exactly how they got here. Regardless, the important thing was that they were here, and that the warm orange bonfire was warm and inviting.

Florina placed a hand on Vaida's leg. She scowled, but ignored it. At the moment, it seemed entirely irrational to consider taking her eyes off the fire.

The flames…Vaida sat entranced. Around the flames sat many people, among them Ahast and Kavi, Clarie and Shania, and several more villagers she didn't care to know. But in the black dusk, Vaida looked singularly at the fire, and it entranced her.

"Look at the dance- the flames dance, Ahast," Kavi said. He seemed to be occupied turning a large wooden spit, roasting some meat. Still, he stole brief glances at Ahast, who sat looking long into the flame. "Wonderful, isn't it."

"Very…nice," Ahast said. He grasped his forehead in his head. He bit his lip and choked back some emotion. "It is…nice…"

Vaida sat entranced. Florina made some remark about the beauty of the flames, which was lost on the woman. Instead, Vaida put her hands out. What power…her hands became warm and began to feel heat pulsate through them like trundling beats of drums. Maybe there were actually drums playing. She didn't know. But the power- the power!

_What is this…something so great? This is something greater than me!_

Vaida had always liked fire. She didn't like it in her hands or on her body, but she liked looking at it. It had always made her feel strange. She sat entranced by this flame, captivated. It was odd. This fire made her feel strange, too. She saw a lot of things in the fire, a lot of pictures, a lot of memories there. It was a familiar sight. It didn't give her that _feeling_ in her heart, but it made her feel strange.

It was like a dancing. It was like a semi-rhythmic melody, playing in perfect cue and harmony with the world. It was a shade, a mixing of hard colors and cloudy pastels. The fire was a carmine blaze of wonders. The flame was like the world, breathing, sighing, exhaling and burning all around. It was like a metronome, a never-ending beat in time. It was music and it was silence. It was a pendulum swung, fell hard, made an echoic melody sounded of bells. It sounded like voices, it smelled like blood, it looked like fire and roared like thunder.

Fire. Fire! It looked like rage, more rage! It looked like more of the same…a familiar sight. It was a familiar sight, it burned as she did, and was doomed to burn to cinders and ash like she was. It was her!

It made her feel afraid. A sweat covered Vaida's face and her body, but it couldn't be more than just the heat, she reckoned. But it made her feel afraid, and it humbled her a little bit. It was frightening, something caged as it was, but threatening to burst out. It made her feel afraid, but she couldn't peel her eyes from it. It made Vaida feel sad, made her feel retrospective, made her feel calm, but it also made her afraid. The fire made her afraid when even staring down the toughest warrior in Bern couldn't bring that emotion to her.

The fire- made her-

Vaida shivered. She stretched a hand out toward the fire and pulled it back just before it singed her fingers. Moth…

_Ah!…close…_

She shivered again, the hairs on her neck and on her arms standing on end.

"Hey, are you alright?" Kavi asked, looking over at Vaida, seeing her shiver. "You can't be cold, can you?" He chuckled.

"I…I'm not…" Vaida shook her head. She touched her hand to her heart, looked at Florina, looked at Kavi and the trance was broken. "I'm fine."

Kavi removed a bit of roast from the spit with two iron rods. "I don't suppose you'd like to have some roast? I heard you'd like a nice bit of roast meat, so I figured I'd offer, you know?"

"Yes," Vaida said. "Yes, I want some."

_Gah…my mind's playing silly little charades with me. I just need something to eat, some meat._

Vaida was going to rip it apart.

-

Vaida awoke early the next morning. The faint orange hues silhouetted in the tent's opening reminded her of the sunset and of the bonfire, and a mild nausea swept through her stomach.

Her regular clothing had been delivered to her, so she dressed herself and threw the villager's robes aside. She shook the sleep out of her eyes and left her tent. Here in the outside, some of the villagers were already up and going about their business. Some carried jars of water, some toted children or blades, and some walked about, talking to each other.

Vaida perked her nose up to catch the pleasant smells of mountain wildflowers and a slowly churning roast spit. Apparently, the night before wasn't enough. Well, Vaida at least wouldn't complain about having a roast leg in the morning. If she didn't feel unusually reluctant this morning, she just might have asked to take a leg. But then, that would have required a certain imperative, something Vaida didn't feel willing to exert today.

_Ehh…I've probably taken too much from them already._

Standing talking to two other people, Alina caught sight of Vaida and excused herself to greet her.

"Good morning," Alina said. "I hope you slept well?"

Vaida grunted. "As well as I could have, I suppose."

"I suppose I should have prepared myself for the noncommittal," Alina said, with a smile.

_Bah. What's that supposed to mean?_

"Anyway, Kavi and Ahast are planning on hunting this morning. I don't suppose you would like to join them?"

Vaida laughed. "And what, might I ask, would compel me to do that, hmm?"

Alina shrugged. "I simply thought you might be interested."

"That reminds me. Where are my weapons?"

"Both of your weapons are being held for you until you leave," Alina explained. "And both of your mounts are being cared for well."

Vaida grunted. "Good to hear."

"So, do you want to watch?"

"Hm," Vaida crossed her arms, a smug look brushing along her face. "What, do you all make a spectacle of killing a few beasts here? Is it such a momentous occasion among the village?"

Alina shrugged again. She didn't seem as though she particularly enjoyed the notion, nor did she particularly seem to mind the notion. Vaida noticed a large axe hooked onto her belt this morning, and she wondered why she hadn't noticed it before.

"Not particularly," Alina said. "I simply thought you might be interested in seeing how we do things here. You seem like the hunting type to me. Either way, you'll probably be leaving sometime soon."

Vaida grunted again. It was enough to make assumptions, another thing entirely to cover it up with a declaratory question. 'Probably be leaving', oooh! Sure Vaida realized she always seemed eager to leave, but who says such a thing? "As soon as the girl wakes up, we're leaving," she said, baring her teeth.

"I don't suppose you'll consider staying the rest of the day?"

Vaida looked up. Say what now? It wasn't a question she had put past them, but she was surprised this Alina person asked it anyway, especially after that infamous declaratory question.

It wasn't as though she hated it here, but it was not a place Vaida would have chosen to spend her time. Vaida curled her lip. Maybe she did have a few _questions_, now that she thought about it. It was like…a buffalo fattening itself up on delicious green grass before getting taken down by an arrow. All the more meat to take away. It wouldn't hurt to stay just a little while longer. And the questions weren't going to go away. Questions like 'why is it that _you_ could survive Nergal's wrath?', and 'how do you simpletons govern yourself'? Questions that, in pre-retrospect, would nibble at her brain if they weren't asked.

_Not only that, I have a strange feeling that Florina's getting to used to these people. I sure hope she'll take it well when we have to get out of here._

"Eh…well, maybe we'll stay a while longer. Until the dusk, at least. No longer, of course. I wouldn't want to _impose_ on your _kindness_." Vaida sneered (ironically both meaning and not meaning what she said). "I'll ask the girl if she wants to stay a bit longer."

Alina smiled. "I'm glad. You may not believe me, but we enjoy having you here. Seeing you two makes us see ourselves a little bit clearer. It invigorates us, livens us, I think. Do you know what I mean?"

"Afraid I don't. So, where are the hunters?"

"They'll be here in a minute. Don't worry, Ahast is punctual almost to a fault. They'll not be late."

"I see," Vaida said, looking around and tapping her foot against the plains. Now the sun had risen almost completely, and the sky was slowly turning to the illuminated blue of daytime. "About Ahast. He and that…that other fellow are…"

"Lovers, yes," Alina said, nodding, as though it was the most natural thing in the world to read someone's mind and finish their sentence. Vaida turned an eye up. "As are Clarie and Shania. And many others here, as well. Love here is as natural as admitting that love. Sometimes it's not even saying it aloud, but just admitting it to yourself. That's why very few people here can say they are alone in this world."

"I see." _Yes, but there's no rest for the wicked, no mercy for the damned, and no love for the forlorn. Silly little things like that are never decided so easily-_

"We have a saying here," Alina continued. " 'Being alive means never having to fear living.' The dead never fear death, and the living shouldn't have to fear life. But not fearing life means…not having to be afraid listening to your heart breathing to you." Alina laughed. "I'm afraid that sounds a lot more trite than it really is."

"I've never feared _death_," Vaida said, looking over at Alina. "I've lived a life where I embrace death, where I deliver it and stare it in the face. When the end comes, it comes. I've made my amends with the undertaker."

Alina nodded and stood silent for a moment. "That's very true. Very true. I don't doubt you'd ever fear _death_…"

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Vaida and Alina turned as Kavi and Ahast approached. Ahast held a large sword, tainted by lashings of rust but still sharp; Kavi held a bow at the ready, a large quiver filled with arrows slung over his back.

"Is she coming?" Ahast asked, cocking his head toward Vaida and looking towards Alina. He received an affirmative answer, and said, "I see. Well…fine. Just make sure…never mind. Let us go."

"Are you ready?" Kavi asked the group. "We should get going."

The two women nodded and the group started off. As they walked, Vaida quickly realized that the village through which they were passing was alive as they ever were. Many of them sat on blankets set across the plains and knitted, or wove. Some of them sat outside and read, their eyes intently affixed to the words. Some of them sat and sharpened weapons, some of them held small children and raised them into the air and back again, cradling and rocking them. The village was _alive_ this morning, and Vaida was given the impression that it would only become livelier as the day grew older. People approached the villagers as they walked along and asked questions; some of them waved to Vaida before leaving. She always waved back, albeit half-heartedly.

They stopped at the edge of a small forest. It was near the hill from the night before, a forest with a great high canopy and a floor covered in leaves. Ahast and Kavi led the group, followed in short order by Alina and Vaida. Alina held her axe at her side, her eyes affixed to the trail ahead, searching for any signs of prey.

Vaida was about to say something, but was quickly shushed by Alina. Ahead, Ahast peered deeper into the forest, where it thinned into a small circular clearing only a short distance away from a tumbling brook.

"There's something there," Ahast hissed to the group behind. Kavi stood behind and placed a hand on Ahast back as they slunk forward. Ahast turned his head back again and hissed. "Looks like one or two spear-tusk boars. Stay ready. Do not drop your guard for a moment."

The group approached the clearing, where two boars could clearly be seen ambling about. Seeing them, Vaida gasped inwardly. They were rather large creatures with brown skin and hair and one large tusk upon their heads. The things snorted and poked at the ground, though obviously devoid of any substantial meat.

_I've seen something like them before! What is it, the…Nabatan desert boar? The colors are different, but otherwise it's the same, down to the tusk! Huh!_

"Alright, let me do this," Kavi said, shouldering his bow and readying an arrow. Ahast tensed and Alina readied her axe. Vaida stood in the background and watched, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed.

Kavi released the arrow, nearly missing a boar and lodging itself in a tree behind. Both boars snapped to attention and turned in his direction. Kavi cursed silently and loaded another arrow.

"Look out!"

The first boar came charging in fast, its sharp head tucked low in an obvious attempt to impale one of the hunters. Vaida stood next to a tree, behind the hunters but in plain sight, and sneered in the beasts' direction. Kavi loosed another arrow, which lodged itself in the boar's skull. It staggered backwards and squealed in pain, but it seemed undeterred, as it charged forward again with little break.

"Look out!" Ahast grunted, and stepped in front of the boar, lashing out with his sword. The blade clashed against the beast's tusk, and it leapt back for a second.

Vaida stood in the background, watching every swing of Ahast's sword and Alina's axe as they held the boars off. She was conflicted as to whether she should grimace or sneer. She settled on puckering her lips. Having nothing else, it was all she could do.

"These things've got some fight in them!" Alina said through gritted teeth as she fought off one spear-tusk with her axe. It tried to charge in, but she battered him with the side of her axe then chopped downward, causing a spray of blood to rip forth. Ahast's boar struck with its tusk and nearly scraped his face before he slashed and knocked the thing back a bit. Both of the beasts bled, and they stood at a distance, growling and seething while Kavi fired off several more arrows.

_The Nabatan boar is quick to anger, _Vaida thought, her face souring, _and prone to go into a berserk rage when injured…_

One boar charged wildly at Alina, and was about to thrust its tusk forward when it was simultaneously speared by an arrow and cleaved by an axe. It staggered and fell to the ground. The second boar charged towards Ahast, who held his sword up to strike when the beast charged in.

Vaida put a hand out. _Look out, you fool!_ "Look ou"-

The boar rushed in and struck, its tusk piercing part of Ahast's chest near his ribs. His hands fell to his side and the sword tumbled to the ground.

"_Amikoi_!" Kavi yelled, loosing another arrow past the beast while Alina chopped at it several times to put it down. Ahast slumped backwards, a trail of blood running from his wound. Kavi caught the man in his spindly arms and instinctively kissed and stroked his brown hair.

"Ahast!" Alina said, her face a stone sanctuary as she knelt beside him. She stroked his face.

"Aaagh…it's…alright," Ahast said, gasping, hands reaching out. His face had gone pale, and his eyes looked afraid. He pressed his brow together and groaned deeply. "It's not…serious…"

"Come on, get- let's get him to the healer!" Kavi said, breathless, taking one of Ahast's burly arms while Alina took the other. "Karse, we need to get Karse"-

"Disgraced…" Ahast muttered, body shuddering as he was taken away. "Damn…damn."

"We'll get the things later," Kavi said. "Remember the place."

Alina nodded, and Vaida slipped out of their way as they barreled through. A small track of blood followed. Vaida followed shortly afterwards, the man's sword in her arms, shaking her head. It was no longer a gesture of pity at their unpolished strokes, or disgust at their simple ways, but one of dismay.

_Any of _us_ could have taken those boars…_

-

Florina awoke feeling relatively comfortable about her company. Two women from the village stood over her, one of them carrying a wooden tray with several fruit on it.

"Clarie asked we bring some food to you," a woman with long green hair and a soft face said. "She was busy, so she asked us to tend to the guest."

"Ah…thank you," Florina said, sitting up in her bed and taking the tray.

"Clarie also asked me to bring this," the other woman said, a short woman with short black hair. She held out a bundle of clothing. "These are your clothes, my lady. I recently washed some of our village's clothing, and I washed yours as well."

"Ah!" Florina said, taking her pegasus knight's uniform and holding it close to her. It was remarkably soft and smelled like wildflowers. "Thank you very much!"

"Our pleasure," the first woman said, bowing and leaving the tent on the arm of the other.

Florina set the tray aside. Briefly checking to ensure no one from the bright morning outside was around, she slipped out of her robe and dressed herself in her usual outfit. She had finished adjusting her uniform to perfection (it was impeccably washed) when her stomach gurgled and she realized just how hungry she was.

"Oh…I must not have eaten a lot!"

She sat down on her bed and began to eat the fruit she had been given. When she got to the peach, she couldn't help but laughing and smiling.

At some point, Clarie and Shania appeared in the opening of the tent, Clarie's arm possessively wrapped around Shania's waist. Florina wiped the juice from the last bite of peach off her face, and welcomed them in.

"How is your fruit?" Clarie said, looking at Florina. They shared a giggle, and Shania smiled warmly over at the sitting girl.

"It's very delicious. Thank you!" Florina said, taking an apple and munching on it. "I can't believe you would be so kind to me…"

"It's our pleasure," Shania said. "You and Vaida…it's been our pleasure having you here, even if we had to meet under unfavorable circumstances."

Clarie nodded. "I knew how much you enjoyed our fresh fruit before, so I asked a friend of mine to bring you some!"

"Thank you…"

Clarie smiled. "Oh, it's no problem! I'm sorry I couldn't see you myself, but I was working on tending one of our gardens…"

Shania cleared her throat. "Also, I wanted to say. I'm sure you might have thought we'd have sent you away saying that you were only a drain on their resources. But we'd like to think we're not like that. All the other villagers seem to welcome your presence as well."

"It's probably because, even with all of us here," Clarie said, "it can get…lonely. And, well…I for one cannot _stand_ to see _innocent_ people treated unfairly!" She puffed her chest out playfully and broke into peals of laughter. Shania pulled her close with an arm and ruffled her hair.

Florina bit her lip. _Innocent…?_

"Oh!" Clarie said, walking closer to Florina's bedside with a smile. "I just remembered. You're a pegasus rider, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. I-Is Huey"- Florina felt a sudden, great pang of guilt and anguish tear into her for not mentioning him earlier, even if she had thought about him.

"Your pegasus?" Shania said. Florina nodded. "Don't worry, it is fine. He and Vaida's wyvern are tethered safely in a small patch of forest. Some of us trained in beastkeeping are ensuring their safety, so don't worry."

"Oh, thank you!" Florina said, clutching her hands together in front of her chest and sniffling a single tear of joy from her eye. "I don't want anything bad to h-happen to him I was worried…"

"As you should be!" Clarie said, sitting on the bed next to Florina. "I know if I had a pegasus to ride, I would be close to it. They are really graceful creatures, aren't they!"

"Yes! Um…say, Clarie, Shania," Florina said after a moment of gathering up any nerve she could find. "Last night, you…you said that men and women do…mate together. Um, if you don't mind me asking…"

Shania licked her lip idly and her eyes skittered around the room. Clarie turned away from her and Florina had a strange feeling (maybe it was the blush-sense) that she was blushing.

"I-I'm sorry. Was that a bad question?"

"Well, no," Shania said, squaring her jaw. "I can tell you. You're curious to know. I have a child with Ahast."

Florina gasped. "W-with Ahast…"

"We raise our child together," Shania continued. "He's three years old now. When neither of us can care for him, we ask someone else to do so. Both of us care deeply for him, and he stayed with me for the entirety of my labor."

Florina simply couldn't think of the right words to say, so she stayed silent.

"I love Clarie," Shania said, looking at her woman on the bed. "And I love my child, because he is mine. But our love will always be separate. Looking at us from the outside, I'm sure that seems very strange, but…"

"I don't think it's that strange," Florina said earnestly. It _was_ strange to her, but it made sense. And, after all the things she had seen, she couldn't help but think that this was the way things belonged. "Um…your love for each other is truly strong."

"Florina…" Clarie turned toward the girl. Her face was slightly tinged with red; her lips were flat; her eyes were wistful. "Do you want to know?"

"_Amikoi_…"

"No, Shania, it's alright," Clarie said, shaking her head. "I'm…not ashamed, or upset. Florina…" Clarie took Florina's hands gently in hers and looked into her eyes. "You know what happens when children are born, right?"

"Um…y-yes, I know," she replied, her face flushing.

"My child…died when I gave birth to her," Clarie said. Florina put her hands to her face and gasped. "My…my mate had died in a hunting accident several months before, when I was still pregnant with her. The only time I got to see my little angel was with her eyes closed, wrapped in a little blanket…"

Florina watched as a tear slid down Clarie's cheek.

Clarie sniffled. "I saw the midwife take my little baby girl away, and I knew I would never see her again. I…in all that time I carried her, I…I felt like I had lost a part of me." Clarie chuckled and wiped several tears away. "I guess I really did…oh, I'm sorry for crying like this. I feel so ashamed…"

"This was before Clarie and I began to love each other," Shania explained, clenching down on her lips, her eyes firmly shut. "It's…somewhat unusual, and even a bit frowned upon to mate and bear a child before you meet your love. When Clarie became pregnant, some people started saying how she…how she was disrespecting the idea of what love and lovemaking is."

"I wanted to be a mama so badly…" Clarie said, putting one hand to her heart and holding Florina's hand in another. "I wanted to have a child of my own to love…to nurture…to care for. Caring for a little child is different than just caring for plants or growing fruit. It's…it's love. I…kept her blanket, and I squeeze it sometimes…"

"When she was pregnant," Shania said, looking out the door of the tent, "Clarie wouldn't speak to anyone. I could tell from the look of her eyes, from the way that she walked that she was in pain. It wasn't so much that her body ached, or that she was sore. It was just that…she hurt inside. She was lonely, insecure, and I…I could never say anything to her. She didn't think there was anyone she could confide her problems in, and I…I never said anything. I just stood there and watched her suffer, because I couldn't think of anything better to say, and I didn't think just putting a hand on her shoulder was important enough."

"Oh, _amikoi…_" Clarie spoke, staring up at Shania as the taller woman knelt at the foot of the bed.

"Florina," Shania said, looking over at the girl and back at Clarie. "Don't make the mistake I made. Don't ever be too afraid to tell somebody how you feel, what you feel. Don't ever feel like what you say and what you do is unimportant or unworthy, and don't ever be afraid to care." She leaned forward and kissed Clarie on the lips, drawing away slowly and caressing her cheek. "You might regret it for as long as you live."

-

Vaida stood at a distance watching Ahast's bedside as he lay wounded. Ahast's bold eyes were empty and shut, his lips closed and flat, and his brown hair tucked neatly atop the pillow. His sword was tucked away in some unimportant place.

The healer's tent was as spacious as it needed to be, with herb sprigs springing on tables, soft beds lined in a square, and old master Karse pacing the rows with his hands behind his back and his brow arched in thought. Alina asked the healer a question in hushed tones, to which the elder replied (perfectly audibly), "No reason to unnecessarily startle a child. Tell…whoever his mate is, if you wish."

Over in his bed, Ahast lay with a thick bandage and healing herbs swathing his wound; a heavy blanket lay over him up to his neck. Kavi knelt beside and placed a hand on Ahast's blanketed chest, and lamented the wounded man didn't have a hand free.

"Ahast…"

"He'll be fine," Karse said, standing behind Kavi with his arms folded. The elder healer was a tall, gray-haired fellow with a stout, wrinkled face and piercing green eyes. He ushered Kavi along with a firm hand and knelt at Ahast's side, laying a hand on his forehead.

"Elder Karse…" Kavi said, looking over at the man. "Thank you. I can't tell you how good it makes me feel to take you- see you take care of him like this."

Karse grunted.

"Whenever any of us are sick, you're just…so great. Without you, I don't know where we'd be." Kavi nodded and smiled, putting his palm to the ceiling in a Tilas gesture of appreciation.

Karse grunted.

"Elder, thank you. I don't think I can tell you how much this means to _me_ that you're"-

"Would you be quiet?" Karse blurted, giving Kavi pause. The elder shook his head and ambled away, resuming his pacing throughout the tent. He mumbled. "You'd think I saved the world or some such."

Alina cleared her throat. "Maybe we should leave the Elder be to tend to Ahast…"

"I have something to say."

Alina and Kavi whirled around to look at Vaida. Her eyes were set straight ahead to bear on the injured man's bed.

"If I had my spear, everything would be fine," she said. "I could've put myself in front of you and taken those things down."

"I suppose you could have," Alina said, placing a hand lightly on Vaida's shoulder. "We haven't given you your weapons back. But Ahast will be all right, don't you worry. He's been injured before."

Vaida looked over at the injured man. "Y-yeah, huh? I've been injured, too. It hurts, in more way than one. Right, but I suppose if you didn't want my help"-

"We didn't say that," Kavi said, standing up to look at her. "I didn't want him to get hurt either! But we have to do this every day!" His look of concern melted into one of anger, anguish. His lip trembled nervously. "We're not fighters like you. We have no wars, no battles to fight- we don't fight- we don't kill just to kill. We don't center our lives on fighting! Ahast did what he could to protect us! All we do is try to surveve- er, survive. I may play at an archer, but I'm a pacifist at heart that wouldn't hurt a living thing if I could help it. I don't want to fight, I want to love. It's stupid, I know, but it's true."

"Eh…really…" Vaida stepped back. She might have said nothing but for the startling realness in the man's little speech. She burst into a suppressed chuckle, almost without even thinking about it. "I can believe that," she said as the room looked over at her. "I…can believe that." Alina smiled warmly and the healer rolled his eyes, shook his head, walked away.

Kavi turned back, knelt, laid his head on Ahast's chest, still but for the steadiness of his breath. He mumbled the wounded man's name softly to himself and shut his eyes. The room was silent for a few moments that were precious time. At last Kavi spoke again.

"You brought back his sword, didn't you? Thank you."

Vaida turned to the elder healer. "Hey. We'll get gone, but at least let the man-fellow stay with him."

Karse grunted, nodded.

-

Vaida and Florina were reunited later in the afternoon. They both sat on the same side of the same wooden table in the giant eating-tent, now full with villagers looking to sate their own hungers. Alina and Shania next to one another, beside a gray-haired young man from the village that Vaida and Florina didn't know. The man sat in silence and ate some roast meat, his eyes perpetually roaming away from the table.

Aside from her voracious hands and her ripe mouth and tongue, the wyvern knight seemed utterly despondent. She looked down at the wood-grain table like it had just beaten her. She made wild, preoccupied gnashing sounds, tearing down her meat.

"So, um…how have you been, Lady Vaida?" Florina asked. She palmed some grapes, nibbled them like a horse in the bridle, and ate them up.

"Eh…I've been better."

Alina bowed her head.

Vaida looked away. Her sneer carried the weight of apathy, but her teeth kept straining away at the base of her lip, and her eyes fluttered from the tent's entrance and back like a blind butterfly.

"Did you hear?" Vaida said at a moment her eyes were away, "Ahast injured himself."

Florina gasped.

"Damn it," Shania said, putting her food down with a great _thud_. "It's nothing to parade around! He will be fine. Don't go on like it's so important."

"But, um, Shania?" Florina ate a few more grapes and chewed them hesitantly. "Isn't…isn't he your"-

"Ah!" Alina said, raising her head. "Why don't we save the quieter sentiments for a quieter moment." She put a hand on Shania's shoulder. "For now, let us just eat and enjoy ourselves."

Vaida tore through a leg of meat. _If I can get a straight answer out of either of these willow-women, I will. Then we might actually be able to leave by dusk…_

"Why don't you care about men?"

The question was so jarring and so sudden that the entire table shot their head up to look. Shania's face looked like pickled beets; Alina's much like a nonplussed turnip; Florina's akin to an over-blanched piece of fennel. The one man sitting at the table looked up at _the_ Vaida before looking away in apparent disgust.

"Why? Why do you think?" Shania spat, putting a hand in front of her mouth and drawing her features closer in to herself.

"I don't know. I was hoping you'd tell me, or at least justify yourselves to"-

"Justify?" Shania rose to her feet and many of the people in the tent turned to look, foodstuffs suspended in midair, bites being held in biostasis as they watched with ashamed curiosity. "You give me a good reason why _we_ have to justify _our_ love to _you_! You tell me why I should even listen."

"Gah! Do you even see people as products of nature, or merely as swaddling blankets to pith around with?"

"Humans are humans!" Shania said. "Who we love comes from our hearts, not from some silly product of nature's quota"-

"Shania, please," Alina urged flatly. "Your voice"-

"Even when we _pine_ for our lovers and return to the state of our births when we are alone or frightened?" Shania's voice raised until it was verifiably impossible to not hear her. "Why should we all be forced to live by _your_ rules?"

"Control yourself, woman," Vaida said, her face turned aside. "You're gallivanting off on a stupid tangent."

"And what right do you have to besmirch our feelings when you won't even admit you're _dead_ inside?"

"W-what was that?" Vaida said, growling. She took a moment in silence, staring down Shania and turning her head to the side; Vaida sighed, and closed her eyes. "Ha. Oh, well, I guess I am dead inside. Look at me, once the great knight. O how the mighty have fallen, huh? So. I'm dead inside. What do you propose I do about it?"

True that, Vaida had felt the deadening and the dying, and every last _feeling_ that prickled away at her in these cursed hours were just involuntary postmortem spasms.

A great thunderclap from outside, and it was as if the sky had begun to roar.

"Do you even understand who you are hurting by acting this way? You pretend like you don't even care!" Shania leaned in. "Maybe it will interest you more if I put it this way: you're hurting _yourself_. Does that bother you more?"

Vaida rolled her eyes. "Oh, there are more important things than me."

"Like the hells you believe that, though," Shania said. "You're dead of your own will, not because you don't have a choice, but because you don't even care any more."

"I have no reason to care," Vaida said, looking away. She wished she could be free of this conversation. "Apathy is my specialty."

"Come outside," Shania said, her voice trembling. "You want to see the sky again? See it from our view one last time."


	3. Part III

-

Outside was a dark, foreboding place that night. Outside was a place where few of the villagers now scurried about, gone back to their tents to seek shelter. Outside was a world where the ground was a dark green sea, the air was a solemn gray, and the sky was billowing rows of black. Outside was a place where the air smelled moist and the sky sounded like it was about to snap apart.

"What are we doing?" Vaida asked as she walked behind Shania through the Outside. Together, they walked to the center of the village, where the tents peeled away to show an open circle of grass, and Shania looked upwards.

"Look. What do you see?"

Vaida looked up. "The sky."

"Damn you!" Shania said, striding over to Vaida and looking directly in her face. "This is part of our _lives_! When we look into the sky, do you know what we see? Not an endless abyss waiting to swallow us. No! We see _hope_. We don't see a burial ground! We don't see a forfeiture of our lives to the storm!"

The sky roared and drops began to fall lightly from the thunderheads.

"Why is this so important to you?" Vaida said, coldly staring into Shania's eyes. Her heart beat against the cage of her chest and her breaths rasped against the wind. "You've never even met me. Why would you even care about my life when I've seen so much more than you?"

"That's where you're wrong!" Shania said, gritting her teeth and sharpening her brows. "I've seen just as much as you, but you've seen death and I've seen the alternatives. Don't you understand? We are _no_ worse than you, just because you make war and we just live. We neither asked for nor rejected this life, just as you haven't done either. But I've seen things too."

Vaida scoffed. "I've _seen_ my comrades die, I've _seen_ my enemies die. I've been disgraced and dishonored and stripped of my rank, forced to work with the vilest of the vile to _fail_ to get back to that rank, and in that time the only common thread between was -ha!- the sky! That's what I've seen, and I've seen more of it from the sky than you've from the ground. What say you that I've alternatives, when you know nothing of my 'trade', filthy woman? All you are is grasping at threads."

"You can make a _mark_ on this world. Deeper than that of a scar of a lance or a cut of a sword," Shania said, bearing down on Vaida, pressing in her face, challenging her. The rain started falling quicker, and the sky bellowed again. "But damn you, _damn you_ that you can't see that."

"What? What haven't I seen, mm?"

"You haven't seen that at least there's one person who cares for you, and you consider yourself above caring in return."

_One person? _Vaida thought, feeling the gentle patter of the rain in her hair. _She couldn't mean the girl…Florina…could she? _

"You feel it your need to 'defend the innocent', then? Champion of innocence, aren't you?" Vaida asked. _One question needing answered, then the rest…_

"Who's innocent?" Shania said, looking around and shaking the rain out of her black locks. "We're all innocent! Don't you think so, Vaida?"

_Ha ha…I'm not sure of that anymore, woman. _"Alright, then. Riddle me this. Who is your 'chieftain'?" Vaida said, a condescending whip tickling her words.

"We have none. We are a self-governing people here," Shania explained, lips pursed in angry trembling. "We are the same as you, except we rely on our wits and our better judgment to lead us, not a monarch or a lord." The rain began to fall faster and the sky cracked, threatening to throw the light of the gods down on their piddling little heads. "I'm surprised you didn't even wonder at the consequences before now."

_For such a backwater place, these people _are_ remarkably well spoken, _Vaida thought as she looked away. _After all is said and done, maybe this isn't such a horrible place to live after all. Heh. I've had enough with kings and queens anyway, just give me one strong man to change the world._

"Alright, let me ask you something more," Vaida said, putting a hand on her chin and stepping closer to Shania, raising her voice so it could be heard over the rain and the winds and the sounds of thunder. "How is it you could have lived so long on this, the Dread Isle, without being discovered by Nergal and his little toadies? Surely he would have found your little gathering and had it slaughtered by now. Or do you even know of his wrath?"

"Simple," Shania said, as if it were truly the simplest thing in the world. "Spirit-concealing illusionary magic around the entirety of our settlements."

_Gah! _That's_ simple?_

"Let me explain," Shania added, a slightly smug smile settling on her face. "The dark soul settled on the isle Valor comes seeking one thing: power. He cares nothing for trifles or habitation: only power interests him. Any people he happened to find, he killed. But we're protected here by the grace of nature and the guise of simple magic. On his path to damnation the dark soul didn't see us, and doesn't actively seek to hunt us because there's no reason to. This village is far enough out of his way anyway. You wouldn't even have come here if it wasn't for us saving you. You wouldn't even have known we existed!"

_I wonder…do they even know? Hah…maybe they're blissfully ignorant of what Nergal hopes to accomplish. What would they say if they knew?_

Vaida decided to probe around a bit. "Do you have _any_ idea what the man Nergal might be trying to accomplish?"

Shania sighed. The rain formed a spherical crest around them and their words, locking them together. Here, they could make out the words without having to strain. Here they were heard. "Almost certainly, he seeks to revive the power of dragons."

_Eh? - ! - ?_

"And should he do so…" Shania said plainly, "we would probably all die."

"You do know, then?"

"Any day. Any day we might die. I'd like to think that most of us have made peace with ourselves. We don't fear life, and we don't fear death. I would be lying if I said I wouldn't miss my life, my friends, my love, but…" Shania paused for a moment, and Vaida was almost afraid seeing the sudden helplessness in her eyes. In _Shania's_ eyes. That was a first. It was like looking into the eyes of the Future itself and realizing it was as fallible as any man was. "We all die…someday."

Vaida laughed dryly. "How true. Your ideals haven't blinded you to reality, at least."

"Ideals? Ideals?" Now it was Shania's turn to laugh dryly. As she did, she glared. "Ideals is a silly word. Ideals is a word that speaks ignorance, foolishness. Ideals is a word that says we want better than what we can get. We live life the best we can, using the best we can offer ourselves, using the best that nature has given us. But we understand what happens to people. We understand we're human. We understand what it means to be human. And we understand why we would have to suffer, why we would have to lose love. We understand why we cry, why we bleed, why we die, and why evil exists. We've tried to stay as innocent as we can for as long as we can, and I can assure you that _none_ of us will abandon our lives for fear of being thought 'idealistic'. We do it because we _can_, because it would feel bad doing anything else. At least we won't die alone."

Vaida sneered. It was a good answer. A long-winded, pompous, simplistic answer. The idea frustrated Vaida to no end. She couldn't put any of her fingers on why, but it frustrated her. _Angered_ her. She rose to her feet.

"Bah! No one 'dies alone'? We _all_ die surrounded by people! Idiot." She grasped for words, bit her lip, and none more came. She didn't know what she really meant, but she had to say something just to disprove the woman. Still, no more words came.

"No one…dies alone. No one…"

-

The eating-tent was quieter now.

Florina sat on one end of the table, alone. Across from her, Alina still sat, not much for words but still daring enough to care- greatly so. The young man still sat next to her, looking away at a man at a table far away.

"Um…Lady Alina?"

Alina smiled. "Yes, my dear?"

"Where is Clarie?"

"She wasn't feeling quite well, so she decided to rest in her tent. Don't worry," Alina added, seeing Florina's concerned look, "she'll be perfectly fine."

"Oh, um…alright."

"Would you like to ask me something else?" Alina said, sliding over to Florina's side of the bench and sidling next to her. She smiled. "Don't be afraid!"

"Um, well…I did want to ask, if it was alright. Um, I asked Clarie and Shania if…if they had children, and I was wondering..." Florina looked up at Alina pensively. Every time she even _thought_ about asking the question, it embarrassed her. But at the same time, it made her feel warm and optimistic inside. That was why she dared to ask (even though the consequences _could_ have been dire!) "Um…do you have a…a mate?"

"Me?" Alina replied, looking up and smiling wistfully. She closed her eyes and reminisced. Her face and her shoulders were heavy, but she smiled. Whatever she remembered, she remembered well.

"My _amikoi_ died eight years ago, and my mate six," Alina said, eliciting a gasp. "My fifteen-year old son Hamill and my twelve-year old daughter Melina live alone with me in my tent. I love them so much. I try to spend as much time as possible with them, but…I also spend a lot of time helping around the village. I have to help the villagers whenever they need it, after all. Besides," she added, looking back at Florina, "Hamill is at that age when he's starting to seek independence, and Melina enjoys playing and picking flowers with her brother. I try not to lord over them, try to give them the freedom they deserve. It's lonely sometimes. All I can do is help them whenever I can."

"Oh, I see…" Florina bowed her head. "Well, I'm sure that you're a- a wonderful mother!" She looked up and nodded vigorously.

"Aw…thank you, Florina," Alina replied, smiling. "I know you'll have a beautiful life ahead of you."

"Um…yes, I hope so. Thank you!"

Alina stopped for a moment and massaged her chin with a hand. "But, it's nice living here. Everything is so peaceful. Still, I think the best part is…being able to say you know the person next to you, that you believe in them. There's no hatred for each other here, because we all care too much. And we have the chance to stand up for each other. Do you know what I mean?"

Florina nodded.

"You're a beautiful girl, sweetheart," Alina said, stroking Florina's long lavender locks and then running her hands through her own short orange hair. Florina's heart beat faster. "You remind me so much of my own little girl. You're very special. You're a good-looking girl, you're nice…you're very special.

"Yes, but…I…" Florina turned her head down. "I never feel like I do anything special. I always feel like I'm a burden to other people…"

Alina stroked Florina's hair again. "Hmm. Why do you say that?"

"I…I don't…" Florina looked up, her eyes looking directly into Alina's. Florina couldn't help being comforted just by their blue glow, and was compelled to speak when once she might have not. "I'm…I can never help people. I don't think I've once saved anyone dear to me. I've just been a burden to everyone. My friend Lyndis…Lord Hector…all of you…you've all done so much for me, and I've- I've not done anything to help. All I've done is…" She pressed her eyes shut and tried in vain not to cry again. "…is h-hurt people…"

"I see," Alina said, pulling her close. "But…you love a lot of people, don't you? You give people your love?"

Florina sobbed. She felt the tears spill down her puffed cheeks. She felt the older woman's hands stroking her face, her hair. She couldn't remember feeling so sad, so helpless ever before. She could still remember the pain of being hurt, and the fear of being surrounded by men, and the confusion of waking up in a new place, and the hatred of having to take someone's life away. But she never hated anything more than not being able to make people happy, not being able to help. She couldn't remember something more sad, and the tears just kept pouring, the sobs kept shaking her.

"I-I do…I do w-want to love pe-people…"

"Shhhh, shhh…you never stop loving people, right?" Alina held Florina to her bosom and rocked the girl in her arms. Her voice lowered to a soft whisper, her mouth near Florina's ear. "You're a beautiful little girl…you're just learning how to be strong. You're learning what love means."

"I…I don't want to h-h-hurt people! All I do is make things worse!"

"But you fight because there's things you want to protect," Alina cooed, running her fingers through the girl's hair and cradling her closer. "You fight because you love…you fight because there's something worth fighting for, someone you want to help. That is the reason even gentle women fight…to stand up for something dear to them. See, I love my little children and my village. That's what keeps me going every day."

Florina sniffled and looked up into Alina's face. More and more, she saw mother there. Mother- or a woman she'd like to be. Or both.

"A woman's strength is in her heart," Alina said, "and in the things she holds dear. Men have to deal with their own inferiority, have to deal with the guise of protecting the weak and the helpless, have to deal with the pain of never being able to be weak, or defenseless. But a woman's strength is being able to aid, and protect, and be strong, and…trust in people."

Florina sniffled. "I…I…oh, Lady Alina…"

"Believe in yourself, sweetheart," Alina said, stroking Florina's face. "Believe in yourself even if no one else believes in you. Love people even if you feel you're worthless to them. You're a strong person even if you don't believe you are. You'll never be unable to love someone. Someday you'll make a wonderful woman, and maybe you'll make a wonderful wife, and a wonderful mother."

"Do…do you really think so?"

"Of course, darling. As long as you believe you can, you'll never, ever be alone." Alina stroked Florina's hair and kissed her head. "You're not alone now! But maybe you just don't believe it yet."

-

Vaida trudged alone through the rain. The storm had come in all its unrequited glory. The winds beat down in diagonal slashes; the rain bore down in pounding columns of drivel and drizzle. Monotonous and heavy, they received no answer, no affirmation from the tranquil village below, gone into its shell like a turtle to weather the assault.

But Vaida, she trudged onward through the storm, the rain and the storm chiseling through layers of her existence she didn't even know existed. The stone peeled away and soft underbelly began to show itself through the thick veneer. Out, far from the village, she stood in the verdant fields as monochromatic weather pounded around her. She didn't quite know what she was looking for, only that her heart was alternating between a roar and a whimper.

Vaida rationalized that she didn't like the rain. But it was never any problem for her before. In the skies, she buckled down and rode Umbriel, head ducked down, beating back the breezes with barren wings. But she couldn't find the place where their mounts were being kept, didn't know if they were safe, didn't know if that place even existed. Here at the wall, each step was like passing through an iron gate. At every corner, she was being watched, and judged. She came to one point in the open plain and realized not only did she not know where she was, but that she couldn't see the village anymore, and that the only spot of darkness she had chased had given way to dull gray.

She didn't find what she was looking for, but if anything was to be found, it was going to be by chance when said thing smacked her in the face. Around in the plains, there were the shadows pouring on the grass and the air in shades of gray that played the role of fog on the treasure map. Vaida walked forward and the further she went, the less sure she was she was looking for anything at all. One step further and one hard realization woke her up like a drowning-fish slap to the face.

_Alone? I've never been alone._

She wanted to return home, wherever that was. Where was her home? Where was the village? Where was anything, for that matter? She turned around and started to walk back, but her legs! In the Prince's name, her legs! She felt them turn to stone beneath her and struggled to keep herself anchored. The rain tasted salty. She felt that _feeling_ stronger than ever, and she tried to wish it away, tried to wish it away, but it wouldn't go away, it kept getting stronger and more defined until her entire heart throbbed and her body shook. She wanted to embrace the first one of those silly little kind people she saw, because that was all she needed right now, and she didn't quite know why. She had never felt that way before, after all. Now, though, those people were far away.

Because of her.

_Agh! It's cold! It's too damned cold out here._

She kept walking forward because it was all she had been taught to do, all she knew how to do. She couldn't find her way in the rain, but she could find her way to the next day by walking, she could find any spot on any map, and she could find any enemy's heart- but she couldn't find her way in the rain. Cold, bitter, and tasted like nothing.

Why couldn't she find her way back? She ran as fast as she could, head down, water dripping from her hair and from her cheeks. Surely, if she got there, they'd treat her ailments. Of course they'd treat her ailments, that's what they were there for. But-

_Ugh…I feel ill._

She stumbled forward, lurched, and nearly fell to her knees. Every inch of her clothing and her body was completely soaked. It was not pleasant here, but the village couldn't be too far away, the village would be there to help her, to save her.

_What irony! All this time I loathed their help, and now it's the one thing I want most._

Now it was one step after another, one foot in front of the other. Vaida thought she saw something resembling a tent in the distance, but she couldn't be sure. Nothing was ever clear in gray and the rain wouldn't give up, nor the wind. Her body could take the punishment. She shivered, but it was nothing she had never been through before. The elements were the least of her concerns. There was no one here- no one. Not even an enemy soldier to watch her wither away. What had that woman said about the mountain? And what about the girl?

_Florina! How would she fare out here? Would she freeze to death out here? Would she…no…don't think about that, can't think about it-_

Vaida shuddered. As long as Florina was safe…no, she never need be exposed to this. That innocence. That innocence…

_Ha…ah ha ha! What is it she has I don't have? What is that one thing that keeps me searching for her? It's the one thing I lost a long time ago. Don't ever give it up, damn it! No, listen to me!_

The rain beating down muffled the cries she shouted against the wind, so that only her frantic thoughts came through untouched.

_I don't want to die alone! I don't want to regret all of this!_

She put her arm in front of her face to stop the wind from lashing at her, to stop the rain from flying in her face. The layers were slowly peeling away, slashing the shavings of iron and steel and clay to leave just a woman in a storm.

_This isn't the way I wanted it to end! I didn't come all this far to die alone; the rain can't stop me!_

She shouted out, spitting into the cold iron face of the wind. "My name is Vaida! I was- a rider- of Bern! You- can't- stop me! Damn you!"

She fell to her knees and her body shivered uncontrollably, her face burning in the cold as the storm whistled around her.

Vaida had never once done something as silly as cursing the rain, because she had no reason to- she would never do something so foolishly silly. Now she cursed the rain because it cursed her. She cursed the rain because there was something she so desperately wanted. She cursed the rain because it was no friend of hers, and because it could not so easily be struck down as an enemy. She cursed the rain less because she was angry, and more because she didn't know what else to say to it. She cursed the rain because she was helpless, and her mind was turning silly. After all, only silly people cursed the rain.

"Damn you," and she stood up, her mumbling lost to the storms as she trudged on. "Damned if ya stop me."

And in her mind, where the rain couldn't hear her, she cried, _Save me!_

-

Florina sat on the edge of her bed, a thick village towel wrapped around her body, sopping the wetness away. Like most of the things from Tilas, Florina noticed, the towel was both efficient and comfortable. She pulled the towel closer to her body and rubbed dry her sopping wet hair.

Just a dash from the eating-tent to her sleeping tent was a challenge. She had dashed back hand-in-hand with Alina, and in the process the rains had kissed her and covered her everywhere, and the winds had had their way with her body. Alina had stood silhouetted in the tent flap, rain cascading off of her head and her shoulders, and wished Florina a good night.

Florina lay back and wrapped the towel close to her skin. She sat up quickly when she saw a shadow suspended in the tent flap, and her heart leapt.

"Lady Alina?"

"Heh, sorry. Guess again."

Florina gasped. Vaida stood in the rain- motionless, as if she were afraid to step into the shelter. Some light from somewhere (perhaps the oil-lamp on Florina's beside table) revealed the woman's face.

_What happened? Has she been out there the whole time?_

Vaida trembled. Her face was sallow and ghastly in the night, her features gone from a knife to a pillow. Her lips were pink and pale, and slightly purple.

"L-Lady Vaida! Y-you're shivering!"

One step forward, two steps forward, and another step. Her legs gave way and she fell to her knees at the foot of Florina's bed. She seemed utterly unaware of whether she wanted to collapse and faint, or stand up again.

"Lady Vaida!" Florina said. She removed the towel from her body and, laid bare, threw the thing over the freezing woman.

"Hah…hahhh…I must be so pathetic…right now…aren't I?" Vaida looked up and a hand reached out for the girl on the bed. She seemed so far away, but the whole world felt so close. _As long as she is fine, I'll survive, _Vaida thought, feeling warm, soft fingers contrast over and through hers.

Florina gasped quietly. Cold.

"You look so concerned…are you that- that concerned for me, Flo" -Vaida caught a deep breath- "Florina?"

"Um, I- I was worried for you. Are you all right?"

Vaida chuckled, her legs rattling as she rose to her feet. "Y-yeah. I'm fine. I've been through…far worse before." Her body shivered. "These chains can't pull me down forever."

"Lady Vaida…you're so cold…what can I do to warm you?" And Florina thought, _What _can_ I do? I want to help her…what can I do? What can I do?_

"Here," Vaida said, pulling her arms around the girl and embracing her tightly. Florina's body was lukewarm, but it felt so much better than shivering. Florina gasped. Vaida felt almost guilty subjecting the girl's body to the chill (_almost_), but she was so warm it was damned bloody impossible _not_ to. She stroked Florina's damp lavender hair to compensate, her face perched on the girl's shoulder, and Vaida realized it wasn't nearly proper return for the cost. "Your clothes sopping wet, are they?"

Another gasp from Florina. Now that she thought about it, the lingering chill from Vaida's body was amplified by the bare fact that she had nothing on. She blushed. Florina pulled her arms tighter around the freezing woman and clenched her eyes shut, trying to forget everything she was, everything she felt. As long as she could warm her companion up, it was all worth it. It would have to be worth it- that was what she wanted.

"Hah, it's alright," Vaida said, pulling a blanket from the foot of the bed and wrapping them both. "I guess there was a time I'd've been bothered. That doesn't matter anymore. As long as I'm here, I guess…it's nice."

Still shivering, Vaida looked into Florina's face. Sadness, regret, helplessness. It was easy for Vaida to identify these things in the girl's face and in her eyes. _It's like looking at what _could_ have been_, Vaida thought, and her heart folded in upon itself. She put a hand to Florina's chin and it stayed there, still trembling. Vaida steadied the back of the girl's neck and kissed her, cold pink against warm pink. A confusion like that of an entire world's time slipped into Florina's eyes before she closed them and tried not to shiver.

"Lady V-Vaida!" Florina squeaked at last, pulling back and watching her eyes carefully. It was hard for her to even think of her feelings, but the first thought that came to mind was that she was safe -_safe_- here in Vaida's tight embrace, even as the storm raged all around them.

"Don't tell a soul about this, Florina," Vaida said, serious but wavering. "Hah. I don't think I could live with the ramifications of going against everything I once believed in…"

"I-I won't tell anyone if-if you don't want," Florina said, curling herself back and drawing her shoulders in towards her body until she became just a little ball. So many feelings were talking to her all of a sudden. "But I- I don't quite understand what I'm feeling right now."

Vaida laughed quietly and shook her head. "I really don't know either, I just- eh, what does it matter? All I am is a doomed woman who's lost her innocence anyway." She touched the back of Florina's neck and kissed her again. They closed their eyes and Florina pressed back against Vaida's lips gingerly.

Thoughts ran rampant through Vaida's mind.

_All I'm trying to do is bring back what I once had- Why should I care so much for this little girl- Why can I kill an entire column of my liege's enemies but I can't even forget about her-_

Florina pulled her lips away and looked up at Vaida with wistful eyes. "Oh, Lady Vaida…"

Vaida placed a finger on Florina's lips. "Shush, girl. I thought I told you not to call me lady. I don't deserve that; I'm no better than you, I'm just another woman. And don't…don't flatter yourself. Don't think I…I am…that I wish to be close to you or anything. Heh. But…you're a special girl. When I'm with you…heh. You make me smile. You make me care about you."

_Ha ha! _Vaida's mind screamed at her. That _is what you fear the most!_

"Oh, I…I don't know what to say…"

"That's fine," Vaida said, reclining and sitting on her elbows. The color was slowly returning to her face and her lips, and the cold was beginning to wane. "Just be still. I'll teach you how to be strong, and you teach me how to be softer…I could live with that. Could you live with that?"

Florina bit her lip and nodded. "Seeing these people has…changed me, L- Vaida. I feel like…like…" Florina put a hand to her heart and held it there, "like I learned something really special here."

"I think…I know what you mean," Vaida said. "They are the most self-indulgent, silly little idealistic people I've ever known, but…they make sense." She laughed. "Just like you're probably the purest, most brutally naive little sack of sweet I've every had the fickle fortune of meeting, yet…there's something special about you that makes me feel…soft."

Florina laughed spontaneously and tears began to run through her smile. She threw her arms around the older woman and held her close.

"That's probably the most difficult thing I've ever had to say to anyone," Vaida said, squeezing her tighter. "That childlike innocence might get you killed someday. But I appreciate it anyway. Don't ever lose that."

"You really care, don't you?" Florina said, looking up and trying to say with her eyes what she couldn't with her words.

_The_ Vaida growled. "Do you have to be so obvious about it? Isn't it enough that I've complimented you, you dratted mongoose? Don't go about blathering about it!"

"I'm sorry…"

Vaida paused for a moment, her hand cupped below Florina's chin. At last she smiled; it was a glimmer of calm in the storm. Just like in the night sky, the storm was peeling away to leave calm behind.

"Don't be," Vaida said. She pulled Florina close with a strong arm and kissed her hair. Neither were cold now. "After all, life is meant to be savored and devoured before it's over."

"I…I love you, V-Vaida…"

"I'm glad."

-

The early afternoon sun washed over the grass and the village below. People walked up and around, going about their business as they always did.

Snug in her tent's bed, Florina awoke alone to a sunlight bath and a serenade of birds. She dressed quickly (her clothes were remarkably dry and soft this morning) and left the tent, wandering around with little purpose until she saw Clarie running her way.

"Ah! Clarie!"

"Good morning, sleepy!" Clarie said cheerfully. "Your _amikoi_ is preparing your mounts and your weapons."

"Oh, she shouldn't have…"

"Don't worry about it! You needed your sleep!" Clarie rustled Florina's hair as villagers passed by, several of them waving or smiling, some of them turning their heads away.

"Oh! That reminds me. Clarie, are you alright?"

"Of course!" Clarie said, smiling. She seemed confused. "Why would I not be?"

"Well, um, Lady Alina said you weren't feeling well," Florina said, clasping her hands and looking quite concerned. "I wanted to make sure you were all right."

"Oh! Oh, that?" Clarie looked away. "Don't worry. I was just feeling a little emotional and sad. And I was having some…problems, that's all."

"Oh, I see."

"Don't worry about it!" Clarie said, grasping Florina's hands in her own and leading her along. "Here, come with me! Your mounts are over there!"

Clarie led Florina on, through the village and towards a small grove of trees. In a small clearing beyond, Florina could make out the sight of her pegasus and Vaida's wyvern alongside several people.

"Good morning!" Kavi said when they arrived, calling Clarie and Florina over. He stood beside Ahast at the edge of the grove, his arm around Ahast's shoulder.

"Ah, you're here." Vaida stood up, finished securing the bridle to her wyvern, and strode over to the newcomers. "I've been getting ready."

"Ah…Huey!"

Florina strode over to her alabaster-white pegasus and buried her head in its feathers, stroking its mane. It nuzzled up against her cheek.

"It's been so long since I've seen you," Florina said, rubbing its head.

"Our beastkeepers have been taking good care of your mounts," Ahast said, favoring his ribs. "They were injured on the day you two crashed here, but the beastkeepers were able to fix them up quite well."

"Um…thank you."

"If you see them, give them my thanks as well," Vaida said. "And our weapons?"

"Shania and Alina should be bringing them," Kavi said. "They should be here in a while. But, are you really in such a hurry to leave?"

"We have things to do, places to go," Vaida said. She cursed suddenly and turned to Florina. "For all we know, they could be at the Dragon's Gate already. They could be _in_ the Dragon's Gate. Ragh! I want a chance to strike at Nergal myself!"

She turned to Ahast and Kavi, who both looked like they had seen the dark sorcerer themselves.

"The Dragon's Gate?" Ahast said. "You can't be serious…you're going to the Dragon's Gate, yourself? That's ridiculous! Utter foolishness! Going there would be tantamount to suicide!"

"Bah, man!" Vaida snapped, looking at the trees around, analyzing the clearing, and looking for the best way to take to the skies. "We aren't going alone. We're part of an army!"

"An army?" Kavi said, incredulous. "You two were traveling with an army? That- that's a dangerous situation!"

"Of course it is," Vaida said as Florina mounted her pegasus. "But that's who we are. We're fighters. We fight to give the common man a chance at peace. At least, that's what they play at. Really, there is no such thing as 'peace'. Ha! Surely they don't believe peace will last forever?"

"Well, then…" Kavi said, sidling towards Ahast and absent-mindedly kissing him on the cheek. "Uh…why do you fight?"

"Me?" Vaida said, laughing. She looked up into the sky. "I fight…hah. I used to be able to answer that question. I don't know…why I fight."

"Maybe it's because you have something to fight for."

Vaida looked over at Kavi, his hair flapping in the wind. As adept as this Kavi fellow was at being strange, he had a point. Vaida always had something to fight for: that thing just changed over time, was all.

"Well, we can't just stay here forever," Vaida said, looking away and choosing not to answer. She motioned to Florina. "Come on. We have to leave."

"You're not going to leave without saying goodbye, are you?"

Vaida and Florina turned around to see Shania and Alina walking towards them, carrying their weapons. Both of them carried a smile.

"Because," Shania continued, handing Vaida her accoutrements, "I don't think I'd be able to live with myself not seeing you off."

Vaida laughed and tried not to look at the tall woman. "Really. We only stayed for a couple of days. What's so important about that?"

"Well, like I said before," Alina said, giving Florina her weapons and a pat on the head, "Seeing you makes us see ourselves better."

"Your strength really inspires us," Shania said. "Recovering from such injuries as yours is no easy feat."

"Yes, but you recovered in what, a day?" Vaida said, gesturing to Ahast. "Bah. Recovering is nothing, nothing at all…"

"I suppose you share something important with my _amikoi_, then," Kavi said, pepping up, and looking over at Ahast. "Your wills are both strong. You wouldn't give up, because there was an important reason to keep going."

"Bah!" Vaida said, and Kavi recoiled. A smile ran over her face. "Strong will? More like minor injuries! One lance through my head and I don't care how strong my will is- I'm a dead woman!"

"Vaida…" Florina inched up beside the woman.

"Well, uh…" Kavi stepped back. "Whatever it was, it kept you alive, so- we're glad. That you're not- yeah."

"Maybe you've taught us something," Shania said, stepping forward. She put a firm hand on Vaida's shoulders and beckoned the wyvern knight to look her in the eyes, straight and true. Vaida turned toward her and look, first with a cold stare, and then-

_Heh heh…maybe the village woman was right all along…_

"You're a cautionary tale," Shania said, laughing. Vaida scowled. "A perfect example of what could happen if you lose sight of the important things."

"Don't test my patience, woman," Vaida said, shaking her head and mounting her wyvern. Even as she did, she couldn't shake the thought that for all misgivings she had experienced when first she arrived, that Tilas wasn't such a bad place after all. And maybe their ways of life weren't so bad either.

Shania turned to Clarie, who nodded, then turned back to Vaida. "Thanks for teaching us…teaching _me_ how important life is. And…I didn't want you to make the same mistake I did. That's all."

"Taught you?" Vaida said, rolling her eyes and staring away. "I don't teach anybody anything. Maybe you learned it yourself."

"Hold on a moment," Alina said presently, stalling with a hand and taking a small leather satchel from her pocket. She undid the sash and procured two small hourglasses, handing one each to Florina and Vaida. "Here," she said, smiling flatly. "Just a little something to remember us by."

"Thank you, Lady Alina!" Florina said, taking hers and putting it in her bag.

_Pah_, Vaida thought as she took her hourglass and slipped it away in a pocket, _if I needed a trinket to remember my time here, it wouldn't be worth remembering._

"Well," Vaida said, tugging on Umbriel's reins and setting its head forward. "You ready to say goodbye?"

"Wait a minute!" Kavi said. He rushed over to Vaida's side and extended one hand. "Good luck."

Vaida sighed inwardly. As nice as it was here, she felt the distinct feeling that she wanted to leave, just put some distance behind her. Sticking around would do no good, she just had to get up, get into the blue sky, just hurry up on to her fate- "What do you think you're doing?"

"The hand-grasp," Kavi explained, as the other villagers looked on patiently. "A typical greeting to greet or to say goodbye."

"That's…a strange thing," Vaida said from atop her restless mount, taking Kavi's hand in hers and squeezing. "But then again, you're a strange fellow, aren't you?"

Kavi laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess I am. Hey, could you- could you please stop?"

Vaida released Kavi's hand and he shook it out. Laughing nervously, he shook Florina's gentle hand and slipped back toward Ahast's side.

With one last round of parting words, Vaida and Florina took off, kicking off the ground with tremendous force and rocketing through the clearing.

As they darted away, Florina stole several glances at the villagers below. They all stood at the clearing, hands outstretched towards the skies, palms upward, and shortly they left, having other things to attend. Sadness gnawed at Florina's heart as they filtered away, leaving only an empty clearing melting away.

_Everyone…_

As quickly as they crossed their paths, they were gone. Kavi and Ahast, and their strange relationship. Shania and Clarie and their love and their pasts. Alina and her children. The villagers, all of them just living their lives peacefully. Tomorrow would be just another day for them.

They were lucky, Florina knew. They were lucky that they didn't have to live in fear of Nergal, didn't have to fight for anyone's sake, they just lived and loved and did everything others might have been afraid to do. They listened to their hearts.

Florina lowered her head to brush against Huey's comforting mane. It was time to repay them, replay Lady Vaida, repay everyone for all their kindness. She trusted them with her life, trusted Vaida with herself, and now she mustered up trust in herself that she could repay them- and she would.

"Goodbye, everyone…"

"Who are you talking to, girl?" Vaida said, pulling her mount closer to Florina's as they coasted across the sky. Florina's pegasus necked gently at Umbriel.

"Ah…no one…" Her voice was lost to the rushing wind as they flew on.

"Goodbye too late, it seems."

As the two riders flew ever further from the village's confines, it became clear that they had fallen quite far on the day of their 'incident'. None of the surroundings seemed familiar to either of them, and only the strange feeling of foreboding and a dim sight of ruins on the horizon directed their wings. Together, they had suffered quite a blow on that day, and neither remembered what had happened. Florina could only remember the aching, and Vaida only the burning.

After flying for several minutes, Vaida looked back and peered down. The land was empty- lush, green, blessed by nature- but empty. The village had floated away, it seemed to the rider as she peered down and looked. It was gone. Nothing.

_They are hard to see, aren't they?_ Vaida thought, remembering what Shania had told her about the village. _Did anyone ever even look for them?_

They flew on. Vaida clenched the reins of her wyvern tightly and forged on ahead, but Florina looked back ever so often, and was greeted by only the trees and the expanses of plains below. She tried to keep herself from looking, telling herself that she was soaring far away, that she would be returning to her friends. Together, woman and girl passed as nomads through the blue sky, charging through unfamiliar skies and leaving an oddly familiar comfort behind.

A time came when Florina looked back again, down at the expanding emerald sea below, and saw a small group of specks moving about. The canopy obscured her sight, but nothing could stop her eyes: she was proud of only them, and she hoped that Vaida would be proud too.

"Eh?" Vaida halted her beast in mid-air at Florina's observation, and they hovered in mid-air. "Hmph. Good eyes,"- Florina's heart jumped and her body lightened- "They can't be ours, can they? Maybe they're stragglers from Nergal's puppet army?"

"What do we do?"

"What do we do?" Vaida repeated. She hung in mid-air, hesitant for once. "Well…if they're the enemy…we have to kill them." Florina bit her lip and nodded. "Stay close to me. Don't stray from my side, got it?"

"Ah…" Florina flew up close and tugged the reins to pull Huey away from Umbriel's neck. "V-Vaida…I'll protect you."

"Don't be a fool, girl," Vaida said, reaching a hand towards Florina and retracting before the girl could grasp it. "_I'll_ protect _you_. You just worry about protecting herself."

And Vaida thought, _This is it! The _feeling_! Is this all I can do? All that time they were the only ones who could admit what they were really feeling, what they wanted! I can't have them being the stronger ones than me! Well, if this is the last goodness and honor in me, then by damn I'll carry it out!_

With little warning, she urged Umbriel downward and they barreled toward the ground, followed closely by Florina and her pegasus. The girl restrained her beast to slow it down, but it still surged faster, breaking the canopy and sailing through the trees.

"Girl, watch out!" Vaida yelled, catching up to Florina. "Ahead! They're straight ahead!" She clenched her lance. "Yah!"

As they darted forward, the roving group caught sight of them. They looked to be about ten strong, and as the two fliers darted towards them, Vaida cursed.

_All of them magic-user pansies or archers! Damn it all!_

But it was too late to turn back. They were barreling full speed ahead, lances at the ready, and now the enemies had seen them. Vaida spotted their faces and gripped her lance tighter, and sneered, and let a laugh escape her lips, and leaned in closer to her wyvern, and poised herself.

"Morphs."

Vaida darted in as the enemies raised their weapons. She struck one archer with her lance just as he raised his bow. Florina darted in close behind, raising her lance up and impaling a mage on its end before following Vaida upwards.

"Vaida, look out!" the girl screamed as several arrows and jets of flame soared through the sky. Both of the riders barreled away and the projectiles soared by; as Vaida flew on, preparing to circle back for another strike, she could have sworn a jet of flame had just missed her head.

_-was close._

They darted back down again, and Florina gasped as an archer fired an arrow straight at her. Vaida put herself in front of the arrow and it clanged harmlessly off her armor. Florina had time to mutter only a breathless 'thank' before cutting down another soldier with a thrust of her lance. As Vaida followed her upwards, the blood of another on her spear, she felt the lashings of something hot brush against her. An errant jet of flame burst past her into the sky and Vaida's mind caught hold of it.

_Closer this time._

Vaida and Florina hooked down again, the leaves on several branches tickling them as they passed. Arrows and flames darted past them as they charged, many of them only nearly missing their mounts' wings. Vaida deflected one arrow as it darted past and speared its owner with a thrust just as Florina brought her lance to bear on another. Vaida's poor victim was briefly caught on the end of the spear, was brought up, and was thrown down to the ground in a full circle. A remarkable _thud_.

Now three enemies remained. The two riders darted upwards again, two arrows and a jet of flame soaring by.

They darted down again. Vaida drew her lance back and sliced horizontally with the edge, cutting through two archers. Florina raised her own and struck the remaining soldier, a mage. The last man standing bore a horrible look and a horrible grunt escaped his lips as he fell to his knees, his book open and empty against his palms.

"Victory!" Vaida shot upwards again. Behind her, Florina slowed and peered back at their enemies as she followed Vaida upwards.

"Ah…" She looked back in time to see a single archer raise a silvered bow to his shoulder, arms trembling, and-

"Lady Vaida!"

"Eh?" Vaida stopped in mid-air. In the sky below, Florina hovered, paralyzed; on the ground below, the point of one arrow. "Watch it!

In one moment, Vaida darted downward, pushed her pegasus out of the way with a burly wing, and put herself in front of the silver bullet's path. The archer collapsed after seeing the arrow plunge shallowly into the wyvern's scales. He- it- almost cried as though it could.

"Vaida!" Florina screamed as they shot upwards again, Vaida now lagging behind as she approached the rift in the canopy. The skies were so close now. On the ground below, a man wobbling to his feet, raising a book up, and-

"I'm fine! Just a little scra"-

The moment became suspended in time. From the ground, a single shaft of flame, and the fire exploded in the form of a pillar and a sphere. Florina watched on in horror, her pegasus hovering at the canopy and thrashing around, plunging his neck towards Umbriel again and again. Vaida shot upwards, even as the flames spread over the beast's wings and gnawed at her legs.

"_Vaida_!"

The wyvern's terrible screams punctured the air. Above the canopy, Vaida looked down in fear. All the enemies are dead now, she rationalized. One single mage died with a curse lingering on his lips, and that was it. That was all it took.

She crested up into the skies, Umbriel thrashing about. The flames were spreading up her body and she felt the burning again, the horrible burning. The burning beast seemed to reach a peak at some point in the sky, and began tumbling downwards, the fire wringing every last ounce of strength from its wings. Vaida looked around, thought she saw a frantic white blur out of the corner of her eye. She looked again and there was nothing.

_Is _this_ dying alone? _Vaida thought as Umbriel dove downward. The painful burning surged through her body and paralyzed her, and from the wretched writhing of her mount, Vaida guessed Umbriel was too. _Is this where my hand has delivered me? No!_

The world was sliding out of focus, and the ground was rising on her quickly. There was nothing but fog and fire, and memories dashing through her head: memories of horror in the happy times. Everything dear to her had ended long ago, and this moment was just a formality. But the girl would be fine, the girl would move on and be strong, that was the important thing. She had so much time to think about things, she realized, but she couldn't wrap her mind around anything. All she remembered was a maelstrom of words and lessons. There were probably so many good times, but the burning heart pounding against her ribcage kept her from remembering anything but the pain. She felt broken glass tumble from her pocket and she saw sand slip away in slow motion.

_The fire! Gods, the fire!_

Pain…suffering. This was what it felt like. This was it. No glory, no celebration. Just the way she had orchestrated the whole time. All this time set down a path paved by bad decisions. Is this what all the dying men felt? The empathy choked her.

But it was said one single decision could change a life indefinitely. Vaida burned, burned alive. But in the end, just for seeing her all that time, even if she only realized it once…would she change even one _single _decision?

…nah.

She'd burn for her, damn it. She'd burn alive for that.

Vaida lifted her head and pressed herself back against her old friend, burning together. The only thing left visible to her now was the blue sky. Vaida tried to pretend she didn't see anything, but she couldn't pretend anything any more.

_The sky…the only place where life is worth living…where death is worth dying. Ha ha haaagh…Is that me up there? And her? I'm alive! Or is that…who I wish I was?_

-

Florina looked down at the canopy from the skies above. Her hands trembled and her pegasus neighed, its head pining for the forest. A shooting star fell across the sky, burning, soon to char and turn to dust and ashes.

This time it had come _too_ close. Goodbye too late again.

There was something there: something caught in her throat and something aching at her heart. All the sweet words of encouragement the kind people had said meant much less now, or maybe they meant much more. She had been protected. Until the very end, Vaida had protected her, and now the earth rose up from its halls to embrace that protector.

Florina shuddered and tears ran down her cheeks without warning or reservations. So this was what it felt like. This was what it felt like to suffer a terrible loss. This was what it felt like to truly be burdened- burdened with something beyond one's control. Now this was what she felt and…was it what Vaida felt too?

_Stupid, stupid! I've been so stupid, all this time…_

Her hands trembled as she held the hourglass in her hands. She tipped it over and the time slipped away. No, it hadn't stopped yet.

As much as the erasure had taken from her as the wings drifted away and the body and the flesh peeled over the horizon, Florina swore she would never again look at the sky and see emptiness. There was always someone there, after all. Maybe that's what trust was. Once, after all, she was a little girl so afraid of falling she never would fly. Now she soared because she trusted the sky and she trusted her pegasus.

_I trusted Lady Vaida that night…and today…I really trusted her. And she never let me down, even now. I love you…now I see you._

Florina clutched her lance as tightly as she could. She had never, ever held the lance so tightly before. Now the weight rested comfortably, where once it had just bit into her palms.

The sky was so beautiful that day. Always was. There was no Vaida here anymore, but-- no, not empty. No emptiness here. Only herself.


End file.
